In Two Years, More Than 3,000 People Have Been Imprisoned For Drug-related Offenses.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has said that 3,733 people had been imprisoned for drug offences in the last two years since he took office.
The head of NDLEA issued a warning that drug cartels and unrepentant drug barons would face worse times in 2023 if they did not give up their involvement in the illegal drug trade.
On the second anniversary of his leadership, Marwa issued the warning yesterday at a briefing at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja to inform the public on efforts to eradicate drug usage and trafficking in the nation.
I made a New Year’s plea to them last year, and I also forewarned that anyone who chose not to heed the warning would find themselves in a difficult circumstance. 34 barons are already in our net, and they are being tried in court. Orders for the temporary confiscation of their assets have been obtained by us. They may anticipate spending a significant amount of time behind bars and having their riches and possessions permanently forfeited thanks to our excellent prosecution. People that deal in illegal drugs should take a hint from our behavior. They might anticipate a challenging year this year once again.
The evidence is overwhelming: in the first two weeks of this year, we have already destroyed three significant drug gangs, one of which has established huge networks throughout the globe and whose kingpins—at least six of them—are already in our hands. The information you will learn in the next days. We have detained 26, 458 drug traffickers over the last two years, including 34 barons.
“In 24 months, we prosecuted 3,733 individuals successfully; they were found guilty and given varied prison sentences in court. 2,346 convictions were recorded in 2022 alone, which is the greatest in the Agency’s history and almost twice as many as in the previous 33 years of the NDLEA. This is not by accident; rather, it is the consequence of our officers’ professionalism, tenacity, dedication, and hard work.
Marwa referred to 2022 as a “epochal year” and said that the NDLEA drug misuse contact center, which increased access to treatment and rehabilitation, helped the organization make a significant advancement in reducing drug demand.
