Nigerian airports now tough for drug traffickers, Gen. Marwa says as NIDCOM, NDLEA indicate synergy on drug rehabilitation initiative in Nigeria

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The airports in Nigeria are now unsafe for drug traffickers due to efforts by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) rejuvenating the war against drug abuse in the country.

This was disclosed in a remark of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), while responding to the Chairman, Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, when she paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja, on Friday 18 June, 2021, The DEFENDER gathered.

General Marwa, commending NiDCOM for its excellent public image and accomplishments, assured Dabiri-Erewa that the airports were now stricter as efforts were being intensified to safeguard innocent citizens and reduce drug related incidence.

The former Governor of Lagos and Borno states welcomed NiDCOM’s initiative of building more rehabilitation centres across the country with the support of Nigerians in the Diaspora in the area of sensitization and counselling against drug use, abuse and trafficking.

In a statement in the visit, issued and signed by Mr Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM, Dabiri-Erewa, announced that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and her Commission were to synergize towards the building of rehabilitation centres in Nigeria for the reduction of drug related incidences.

She said, with the alarming rate of drug abuse in the country, some Nigerians in the Diaspora had shown interest in making work and activated across the country but that their major challenge was land whereas, according to her, a lot of them were willing to offer free counselling services.

The NiDCOM boss explained that the visit to NDLEA became expedient against the backdrop of the Zainab Aliyu’s case of May 14, 2019 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who is a former Federal Lawmaker and Journalist, expressed displeasure that the judgement on the matter was yet to be adjudicated, giving room for those culpable to walk about freely.

“It would be recalled that Zainab Aliyu was allegedly accused of drug trafficking and consequently sentenced to death but through the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari, facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, she was set free. Also set free was Ibrahim Ibrahim.

“The intriguing thing here is that judgement on the matter is yet to be adjudicated, giving room for those culpable walking about freely without led or hindrance.

“The culprits have been apprehended but they are walking about freely. It’s been two years and nothing has been done,” she said.

Zainab Aliyu, who was present during the visit with her sister, appreciated the intervention of President Buhari in her case and also pleaded for justice.

“My case has been in court for over two years and some months now. All I want is justice for me and other victims like me,” she said.

NiDCOM comes 43 days after DEFENDER

The NiDCOM’s visit was coming exactly 43 days after The DEFENDER visited the doing well NDLEA in Abuja commending Gen Marwa’s transformation of the agency with a promise of continued support.

It will be recalled that publishers of The DEFENDER, a publication of Defender Media Limited, led by President of the media organisation’s Advisory Board, AIG Mu’azu Idris Hadejia (Rtd), accompanied by another Board member, AIG Mohammad Mustafa (Rtd) and Prince Bashir Adefaka, had visited the NDLEA’s boss, Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa on Thursday 6 May 2021 and handed him a Letter of Commendation for the good work the agency had done under 100 days of the former Lagos and Borno states governor in office.

“Although we in the Journalism community are not given to things that would make us look like stooge of government or any of its agencies, any media organisation will agree with us that collaborating with a doing well security agency like NDLEA at this time is one better way to be part of making Nigeria better and, so, we are here to commend you and your team that your performance in the last 100 days in office is more than satisfactory to us,” General Marwa was told by the organisation’s Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Prince Bashir Adefaka, while introducing the Hadejia-led delegation.

He (Hadejia) told the retired Army General that his performance is not only commendable but, more deservedly, requires all that matter to support the NDLEA’s vibrant and proactive leadership and team as, according to the retired police officer, by detecting and arresting big catches including syndicates, who supplied drugs to terrorists and bandits, as witnessed recently, “you and your team are a major factor in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria….”

Recall also that, responding while receiving in audience The DEFENDER delegation at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria’s anti-narcotic agency, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), applauded The DEFENDER Newspaper, an online media outfit in the country, for its contribution to national security successes through patriotic journalism.

He, therefore, called on the media to collaborate with his agency, saying “we need you in making sure that our country is safe free of drug related criminalities”.