This strategic move aims to fortify the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, particularly within local communities.

Marwa made this promise in response to a request from Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, the Governor of Katsina State, who sought partnership and increased NDLEA officer deployment across the state to address the challenges of drug abuse and insecurity.

Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy for NDLEA, disclosed this information in a statement released on Friday.

According to the statement, Marwa said, “With the Agency’s staff strength expected to rise to 15,000 by the end of the year, the next development was to deploy in the LGAs.

“We currently have zonal commands, state commands, and area commands. We want to go to the LGAs for the offensive action and the advocacy work. We would need more support to succeed. I appreciate the work of the Katsina governor as the challenges are numerous in governing the state. But if insecurity is a problem and is fueled by drugs, I believe we have to collectively take it out of the security equation.”

He commended Governor Radda for his efforts to surmount the various challenges faced and enhance the socio-economic development of the state.

According to him, “The drug menace is a huge issue and has destroyed the lives of our youths and communities. It is the public enemy number one, and especially the criminal aspect of it. 99% of the criminals must first have access to drugs and be under the influence to perpetrate some of their acts. That is why the NDLEA under the collective support of the directorates and the management has put all efforts towards operation ‘offensive action.

“The preventive measure faces those who have not started or are about starting drug use. They are targeted through advocacy and sensitisation across all levels. It is for this reason we structured the WADA initiative from the National to LGA levels.

“We appeal to the government to have a state drug control committee of which the NDLEA will be the secretary and the chairperson would be the First Lady of the state. The first ladies are in the strategic position, because they are the mothers and have the best interest of the government at heart.”

Speaking earlier, Radda said he was at the Agency as part of his government’s efforts to solve the problem of insecurity facing the state.

“This synergy is important and I recognize that the NDLEA has been making a lot of efforts in supporting the government. But we still need more support from the Chairman/Chief Executive to stop the movement of drugs and ensure the arrest and prosecution of dealers in the state. We are appealing for better partnership and synergy to reduce the abuse of drugs, the activities of banditry and trafficking in the state.

“We hope the partnership will go a long way in alleviating the issues of the state and improving the economy,” the governor noted.

The Chairman of the agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd), issued the order in response to the increasing recreational use of the gas as a drug, leading to a surge in demand.

Nitrous oxide, also referred to as “N20,” is a colorless gas primarily used by dentists and medical professionals for sedation and pain relief during minor medical procedures. However, due to its misuse, the NDLEA has decided to take firm action against those involved.

According to the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, anyone caught with the substance will face severe consequences.

The NDLEA CEO has directed all commands and formations to immediately clamp down on the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide.

The gas is often transferred from its containers into balloons and inhaled by young party-goers or fun-seekers to experience intoxication or a “high.”

The decision to crack down on the illegal sale and usage of nitrous oxide stems from the analysis of its adverse effects on abusers.

These effects include dizziness, disorientation, headaches, lightheadedness, fainting spells, hallucinations, unconsciousness, suffocation due to lack of oxygen, and various neurological complications, particularly psychiatric symptoms.

While the NDLEA collaborates with other stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Health, to develop comprehensive measures to combat this menace, the agency is determined to take swift action against anyone, regardless of social status, involved in the illegal sale or use of nitrous oxide. This firm stance is taken in the interest of public health.

Chairman Marwa has urged parents, guardians, and other stakeholders to remain vigilant and warn young individuals against experimenting with or abusing this substance. He emphasized that nitrous oxide poses a significant threat to users’ mental and overall well-being.

The superintendent cadre (Professional and General Duties) members were instructed to study for their test in a statement by the media director, Femi Babafemi.

The evaluation platform will be accessible from 10:00 am on Monday, May 8, to 11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 10.

The exercise is the first in a series of qualifying exams for candidates, who will be contacted via email with further information.

“Applicants who met the advertised qualifications and requirements are advised to check their email inbox or spam folder starting from 3rd May,” Babafemi said.

The spokesperson said further instructions on how to participate in the aptitude assessment will be provided on the test platform.

Information will also be disseminated during the NDLEA Twitter Space (to be streamed across social media accounts) on Friday 5th, May between 3pm and 5pm.

Babafemi advised all contacted applicants to complete the assessment test within the allotted time and submit the same after reading the instructions on the dashboard.

The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retired), and the NCS Comptroller General, Col. Hameed Ali, signed the MoU on Tuesday at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja (retd.).

The MoU aims to assist both agencies in exchanging knowledge and tactics that will reinforce the nation’s ongoing fight against illicit drugs, The PUNCH reports.

In his speech during the signing, the NDLEA boss said with the MoU, both organisations would collaborate at inflicting maximum losses on drug cartels bent on trafficking illicit substances at the detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians.

Marwa said, “With this united front, there can only be one assurance that the criminal elements in our society will definitely be the losers and I assure you that they will certainly lose big as we come for them to put them where they rightly belong and cripple their crime syndicates.

“While there is no doubt as to the benefits that this MoU will provide to our two services and the nation at large, it is my hope that its successful execution and implementation will provide the necessary impetus for extension to other sister law enforcement agencies (LEAs) operating at our airports, seaports and land borders. On this basis, it is imperative to drive the implementation of the MoU to ensure that its objectives and derivable are achieved.

“Therefore, on behalf of the NDLEA, I assure you of our commitment to this MoU and intend to provide all the necessary support required to drive the implementation process in order to ensure the realisation of all accruable benefits. As it is usually said, together we stand and remain undefeatable.”

Marwa further added that the document contains several innovations that would encourage interpersonal relationships amongst the rank and file, as well as at the various levels of command and administration of the two organisations.

Reacting to the development on Friday, the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), commended members and leaders of the House for rejecting what he tagged “another attempt to push through a bill to decriminalise cannabis cultivation, sale and use in Nigeria on the floor of the Green Chamber of the National Assembly”.

The House had on Thursday voted down the bill harmoniously sponsored by Benjamin Kalu and Olumide Osoba, and Miriam Onuoha.

Apart from the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the sponsors, all those who spoke at the second reading on Thursday criticised the bill.

The criticisms against the proposal forced the sponsors to demand that it be stepped down for review, a prayer that the lawmakers unanimously granted.

The three sponsors had earlier clashed on Wednesday over legislation.

Two of the sponsors, Benjamin Kalu and Olumide Osoba, had sponsored separate bills seeking to amend the NDLEA Act to expand the scope of the anti-narcotics agency to issue licenses for the cultivation, sale, and use of marijuana.

When the bill was brought up for second reading in plenary on Wednesday, another member of the House, Miriam Onuoha, objected that the content of the bill was identical to hers.

The Cannabis Control Bill, 2020, sponsored by Onuoha, is titled “A Bill for an Act to Regulate the Cultivation, Possession, Availability, and Trade of Cannabis for Medical and Research Use, and Related Purposes.”

The Speaker had in his ruling asked both sides to liaise with the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Abubakar Fulata, so as to identify the differences and similarities between the bills ahead of their sitting on Thursday.

On Thursday, the two bills, which had different titles, were harmonized.

While Kalu’s and Osoba’s bills had the same title, Onuoha’s was titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Decriminalise the Growth and Use of Cannabis, to Establish a System for the Registration and Licencing of Cannabis Growers, Users, Control to Legalise the Growth, Sale, and Use of Cannabis, and to Set out a Legal Framework for the Registration and Licencing of Cannabis Growers and Producers in Nigeria; and for Related Matters.’

Those who spoke against it, especially the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, and Majority Leader, Mohammed Monguno, condemned the proposed decriminalisation of cannabis.

Gbajabiamila, who presided over the session and had defended the proposal, noted that it must have been opposed due to the word “decriminalize” in the title of the bill, which he said was not there earlier on Wednesday.

While Kalu and Onuoha were unanimous on the call for the bill’s withdrawal, the former noted that the rejection was due to the harmonisation of the bills, noting that they would be re-presented separately after a review.

The PUNCH reports that Cannabis cultivation, sale, and use are all currently prohibited in Nigeria.

The PUNCH had on January 7, 2021, reported that the House was proposing the legalisation of cannabis cultivation and trading, also known as hemp and marijuana, for medical and cosmetic use, research, and revenue generation in Nigeria.

In the bill, Onuoha said the objectives of the bill, among others, include providing for the “regulation of the cultivation, possession, processing, availability, and trade of cannabis for medicinal, and research purposes, among others.”

Reacting to the development in a statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, following an inquiry by our correspondent, the NDLEA boss said the decision by a majority of the lawmakers to reject the bill will further strengthen the gains so far made in the renewed war against drug abuse and trafficking in the country.

He noted that the 2018 drug survey figure of 10.6 million Nigerians abusing cannabis alone is enough to sound the alarm bell, adding that the strong nexus between drug abuse and the security challenges across the country is incontrovertible.

According to Marwa, insecurity is today, a full-blown malady with many manifestations such as insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, murder, robbery, reprisal killing, name it.

Marwa said, “Yet there has never been a government that is more committed to ending this spate of insecurity than the regime of President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). The President has matched political willpower with resources, but the scope and frequency of these acts of destabilization and the audacity displayed by the perpetrators call for a second, critical look at the malaise.

“The persistence of the problem has forced on us the necessity to start to look at likely extraneous factors that might be sustaining the resistance from the criminal elements and in doing so, try to connect the dots.”

According to Marwa, history will never forget those who stand with parents to protect them and their children from any legislation, under any shape or form, that will turn Nigeria to a nation of junkies and criminals, which will amount to taking a step forward and ten steps backward in the prevailing circumstance.

He added, “The permutations will lead to a list of probable causes, which will not exclude the use and abuse of illicit substances. In the final analysis, drug abuse is indeed one of the factors fueling insecurity. As such, Nigeria cannot afford to permit the cultivation, sale and use of the most abused illicit drug under whatever guise.

“This is why the decision by the honorable members of the House of Representatives to reject the reintroduction of the cannabis bill is welcome and cheering news to us in NDLEA and the Nigerian public especially parents who daily and silently contend with the pains of seeing millions of their kids and wards go down under the devastating effects of cannabis abuse.”

The bill, co-sponsored by Marian Onuha, Ben Kalu and Olumide Osoba was stepped down following opposition from several members.

The bill proposed to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) the power to regulate the growth and consumption of cannabis.

During the debate on Thursday, the bill was opposed by several members of the House on the basis that cannabis is “addictive”.

Nicholas Ossai, the Chairman of House Treaty, Protocol and Agreement, said the bill contravenes the Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs. He added that there is no “empirical evidence to support the claim that Cannabis has benefits”.

Also, the Whip of the House, argued that the bill is laid on a faulty foundation and cannot address the concern about abuse and addiction.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila noted that if the bill is allowed to scale through, some of the challenges may be addressed during the public hearing.

However, following the opposition from members, two of the sponsors, Onuha and Kalu stepped down the bill to allow further legislative action.

The approval follows the exploits by the NDLEA in bursting drug lords and cartels and also the heightened attacks on the personnel.

Beyond the approval, the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari also reviewed the successes of the agency, where it was briefed that between January and July 2022 the Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa-led agency arrested over 18,940 suspects.

He was also reported to have secured 2,904 convictions within the period, a development that has led to unprecedented reprisal attacks on its personnel.

The agency was in the news recently, when it seized cocaine with an estimated market value of about $278 million, which in Naira value translates to about N194 billion naira.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Malami briefed State House Correspondents shortly after the meeting, saying, “Today, a memo was presented by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. Specifically the Federal Ministry of Justice. The memo is related to a parastatal under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney General, which is the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

“The purpose of the memo was to seek the approval of Council for the award of contract for the supply of 4 customized armoured security vehicles or 14 seater model vehicle for the NDLEA in favour of Devcom Integrity Services Limited and the contract sum of N580,500,000 only, inclusive of the 7.5 Value Added Tax.

“It has a delivery period of 16 weeks. It is common knowledge to all that in recent times the NDLEA has been repositioned and arising from the support in terms of capacity-building hardware and associated things, they have recorded an extraordinary unprecedented success.

“Of recent and still in our memory is a seizure of cocaine having a market value of about $278 million, which in Nigeria Naira translates to about N194 billion naira and in terms of volume is about 1.8 tonnes. So with all these successes recorded, it is only logical that the criminals and criminal syndicate are now devising means, inclusive of attacks on the personnel of the NDLEA.

”So it is with that in mind that a memo was presented to FEC seeking approval of the Council for the procurement of armoured vehicles for the agency.

“The memo was taken and at the end of the day, it was approved, contract for the procurement of 14 seater armoured personnel vehicles which was approved. The delivery period for the vehicles to the NDLEA is 16 weeks from today. And the company that has been granted the contract is Devcom Integrated Services Limited.

“We are happy with the successes being recorded by NDLEA for the purpose of further information. I think it is relevant to state that NDLEA has succeeded in many ways.

“Between January and July 2022 it has succeeded in arresting over 18,940 suspects. They have equally secured 2,904 convictions within the period, which has led in effect to the unprecedented reprisal attacks on officers. So with the progress being recorded, it becomes necessary that the agency be supported with armoured vehicles and Council has considered and indeed approved accordingly”.

The hard drugs were uncovered by operatives of  NDLEA through the SAHCO export shed of the airport.

According to a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the 11.90kg consignment was brought on Friday, August 5 by a 32-year-old freight agent, Adekunle Paul, from Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.

He said Paul was promptly arrested upon the discovery that the seven cartons he presented for export contained parcels of the dangerous drug wrapped with foil paper and concealed in the heads of hundreds of smoked catfish.

“The next day, Saturday 6th August, another consignment containing 1.45kg cannabis concealed inside granulated melon and crayfish and packed among other food condiments going to Dubai, UAE was also intercepted by NDLEA operatives who arrested the freight agent, Ajisefini Lateef, that presented the cargo for export at the SAHCO shed. The 39-year-old agent is from Abeokuta West LGA, Ogun State,” the statement read.

NDLEA Zone I, Zonal Commander, Mrs. Joyce Awogbuyi, who spoke on the preparedness of the agency to nip the scourge in the bud, reaffirmed the steadfastness of the NDLEA towards a drug-free society.

Awogbuyi gave the assurance on Monday when the anti-narcotic agency designated the Group Managing Director of TILT Group, Chief Habeeb Okunola, as the NDLEA Ambassador of War Against Drug Abuse.

This was contained in a statement on Tuesday titled, ‘NDLEA designates TILT Group CEO, High Chief Habeeb Okunola as Ambassador of War Against Drug Abuse’.

During the presentation, Awogbuyi outlined the effort and initiatives being led by the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General, Buba Marwa (Rtd) to actualise President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) mandate of eliminating the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria.

On NDLEA’s decision to honour Okunola as an Ambassador-designate, Awogbuyi said the ambassador’s commitment to youth development and support towards ensuring Nigerian youth stay drug-free sets him apart.

Okunola’s impact, she said, was helping to boost the youth’s productivity and accelerate widely shared prosperity in the country.

She said, “We are aware of your influence in Yorubaland as the ‘Akosin of Yorubaland’, as well as the humanitarian impact of your Non-Profit Organisation (Habeeb Okunola Foundation) in various communities in Nigeria, including efforts supporting the productivity and development of teeming Nigerian youth; in a bid to foster their aspiration towards building a more equitable society where everyone can participate and thrive socio-economically”.

“We believe the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse can be consolidated through the reach and activities of Habeeb Okunola Foundation. Your designation as NDLEA WADA Ambassador offers the opportunity to raise awareness about the major challenge that illicit drugs represent to society and champion anti-drug abuse sensitisation campaigns, projects and programmes in various communities across Nigeria through the vehicle of Habeeb Okunola Foundation.”

Reacting to the gesture after he was decorated and presented with a letter of appointment, Okunola acknowledged the good work the Marwa-led NDLEA is doing to ensure the atrocious act of drug abuse and Illicit drug trafficking is reduced to the barest minimum in the country.

The National Drug Use and Health Survey of 2018 showed that Nigeria has a peculiar drug use prevalence. As revealed by statistics from the survey, 14.3 million Nigerians, aged 15-64 years, used psychoactive substances, while 10.6 million abused cannabis and 4.6 million others abused pharmaceutical opioids such as codeine, tramadol and morphine among others.

To aggressively reverse the trend, Buhari launched WADA campaign on June 26 2021 to commemorate the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.

WADA is an advocacy initiative introduced to create awareness that will suffuse society with anti-drug culture. It entails setting up coordinated anti-drug committees in States, LGAs and communities across the federation.

The goal of WADA is to mobilise the support of stakeholders across various industries and sectors for active participation in the process of ridding our society of drug menace.

The agency stated this while debunking the claims in an anonymous write up going round on WhatsApp platforms that a certain former Chairman/CEO of the Agency sold the building, leaving officers and men stranded.

The Agency wishes to state that buildings referred to in the circulating piece, which did not belong to it in the first place, served as its National Headquarters before its relocation to Abuja some years ago.

NDLEA disclosed that “A Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on Federal Government Landed Properties took over the buildings following a government directive that all vacated or under-utilised government properties be taken over by the PIC, sold and proceeds paid to federal government coffers”.

Director of Media and Advocacy of the Agency said, “At the time of relocation, 70% of the Agency’s headquarters staff moved to Abuja while the remaining 30% are still in Shaw road office, Ikoyi.

“This remaining 30% will soon join the main headquarters in Abuja as soon as the new HQ building, recently bought by the federal government for the Agency is ready for occupation.

“Like other federal government agencies whose properties were taken over by the PIC, NDLEA has no hand in the sale of the mentioned properties and does not know who bought them and for how much, as the presidential committee solely handled the sale”.

“The challenge before the Agency at the moment is how to remove our officers and men who live within communities where they are exposed to dangers into secure barracks accommodation, a concern already being addressed by the federal government through budgetary provisions for the construction of such barracks across the country beginning from this year.

“Members of the public are therefore urged to disregard the anonymous write up, which is nothing but an embodiment of distortion and mischief.”