The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested more than 80,000 suspected drug offenders between January 2021 and May 2026.
The Director, Media and Advocacy of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the agency also seized over 15 million Kilo Grammes of assorted illicit substances and secured more than 15,000 convictions through intelligence-led operations and strategic partnerships within the periods under review.
Outlining the agency’s response to emerging trends in drug trafficking and substance abuse, he said that the achievements were driven by a deliberate policy of proactive enforcement introduced by the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, shortly after assuming office in January 2021.
According to him, the agency’s policies are designed to anticipate and disrupt criminal activities before they occur rather than merely reacting after the damage has been done.
”We try not to be reactive; we want to be proactive. Our operations are 100 per cent intelligence-led. We monitor drug trafficking trends across the globe and partner with leading drug enforcement and security agencies worldwide.
”That has enabled us to be well-positioned and remain steps ahead of drug trafficking syndicates.
”In the last 65 months, NDLEA recorded more than 80,000 arrests, seized over 15 million Kilo Grammes of assorted illicit substances and secured more than 15,000 convictions.
”The agency also intensified efforts aimed at reducing drug demand through prevention, counseling and rehabilitation programmes.”
The agency spokesman said that the NDLEA conducted more than 14,000 War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities nationwide within the period.
He added that more than 50,000 persons received counseling, treatment and rehabilitation services through the agency’s 30 rehabilitation facilities across the country within the periods under review.
He also said that the agency’s intelligence-driven approach allowed it to identify and intercept illicit consignments at source instead of waiting for them to be distributed within Nigerian communities.
”We will rather take the battle to the traffickers at their doorstep than wait for illicit consignments to be distributed.
”We will rather stop them before they find their way into our streets and communities than begin mopping them up after distribution,” he said.
Babafemi noted that the strategy had helped the agency save operational and logistics costs while protecting millions of Nigerians from the dangers associated with illicit drug use.
According to him, the approach forms part of the agency’s offensive action policy; one of the key operational directives issued by Marwa on Jan. 18, 2021.
He said the policy had continued to shape the agency’s operational philosophy and enforcement activities across the country.
On collaboration, he said that no agency could effectively tackle drug trafficking and substance abuse in isolation.
”There is no agency or institution that can do it all alone. We work closely with the Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS), Nigeria Police Force,(NPF), NAFDAC, Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), the Armed Forces and several other institutions,” he said.
The NDLEA director of media and advocacy further disclosed that the agency had strengthened some of the partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) designed to formalize cooperation and improve intelligence sharing.
He said the agency also maintained extensive international partnerships with organizations such as the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Others he said were the UK Home Office International Operations, UK Border Force, UK National Crime Agency, German Police, French Police, Brazilian Federal Police, India’s Narcotics Control Commission and narcotics control authorities in Saudi Arabia.
”NDLEA also collaborates with drug enforcement agencies in several African countries, including Ghana, the Gambia and Kenya.”
Babafemi explained that the partnerships had facilitated intelligence sharing, joint operations and capacity development, which had significantly enhanced the agency’s operational effectiveness.
He also said that the impact of the collaborations was reflected in the agency’s performance statistics over the past 65 months.
He added that the achievements underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among local communities, state and federal institutions and international partners in addressing drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Babafemi reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to intelligence-led operations, proactive interventions and strategic partnerships to counter emerging threats in the illicit drug trade and safeguard communities across the country.(NAN)
