The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has warned that the agency would go tougher on drug barons and cartels if they fail to repent and back out of the illicit drug business.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, to update the public on the Agency’s efforts to rid the country of illicit substance abuse and drug trafficking on the second anniversary of his leadership of the anti-narcotics body, Marwa warned drug barons and cartels to stay off the business or face the full wrath of the law.
“Last year, I issued a New Year appeal to them and also warned that those who refused to heed the warning would find themselves in a difficult situation. Already, we have 34 barons in our net and they are facing the music in court’’ he stated.
Marwa said that the NDLEA has secured orders for the temporary forfeiture of the assets of these barons, adding that with the agency’s capacity for top-notch prosecution, the barons should also look forward to a long time in prison and final forfeiture of their wealth.
He urged those in the illicit drug trade to take a cue from present developments and the agency’s actions, or look forward to a tough time this year.
He disclosed that in the first two weeks of this year the NDLEA has taken down three major drug cartels, one of which has built extensive networks across the world, while at least six of their kingpins are in the agency’s custody. Marwa said details on these will be published soon.
The NDLEA boss revealed that in two years, 26, 458 drug traffickers have been arrested, including 34 barons being successfully prosecuted and 3,733 offenders convicted and handed various jail terms in court.
He said the 2,346 convictions recorded in 2022, was the highest in the history of the agency in the last 33 years of its existence.
He lamented that drug kingpins have devised a method of carrying out humanitarian projects in communities, like building of schools and providing social amenities, thereby hoodwinking the communities into creating resistance when the Agency’s operators come after them for drug offences.
“We have seized assets of drug barons and drugs combined worth roughly N500 billion’’ he said.
