Marwa orders NDLEA commanders to sweep nation clean of illicit drugs

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has given marching orders to commanders of the agency in all states and special commands to mop the nation of illicit drugs.

Marwa, who gave the order during a meeting with NDLEA commanders in the 36 states, FCT and special commands, yesterday, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, hinted that he would seek government’s approval to conduct drug test on tertiary institutions’ new students, security agencies’ fresh recruits and all newly appointed government employees.

The former Lagos State military administrator said: “All commanders must be desirous of keeping drugs out of Nigerian streets and homes, and so, all of you must shape up and get all those engaged in the nefarious business to face the music. I need results from now on. Our maxim will be offensive action. This means we must go all out constantly on the offensive against the bad guys.

“The success we make of this particular task goes a long way to determine the socio-economic stability of the nation. We need not be told of the nexus between drug use, crime and acts of criminality. The exponential growth of the nefarious drug activities can be directly linked to the upsurge in crimes such as insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, gangsterism, rape and other maladaptation bedeviling today’s Nigeria.

“It is not going to be business as usual. It is a moving train. Please, let no body stand in its front. The train will crush any such person. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. To the unbending drug crime perpetrators, I would like to let them know also that the game is up! It is high time they embraced another trade. The Federal Government’s policy on agriculture is a window for them to leverage on.”

Marwa promised to put more efforts on drug demand reduction as part of plans to eradicate the scourge in Nigeria.

“While strengthening our enforcement activities, we will equally devout a lot of efforts to prevention, treatment and after care and focus on family/parenting, community, school systems, advocacy to all groups through traditional institutions, religious bodies, media, NGOs, CSOs, state and local governments, among others. We will rehabilitate our rehab centres, make them functional while more will be built,” he stated.

Gen. Marwa who also expressed his determination to run with the “National Drug Control Master Plan, Our Road Map”, said toll-free call centers/ help lines will soon be set up for use of Nigerians ready to give information or seek intervention from the agency.

“Ours is a national assignment. Drug has littered everywhere; every community. We will lead the fight and we will succeed. Make no mistake about it, it’s a collective effort”, he told the commanders.