By Angela Atabo
Ms Ibironke Ariyo, a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), alongside 282 individuals and organisations received the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)awards for their outstanding contributions to the fight against illicit drugs.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the awardees for their outstanding contributions to the drug fight on Thursday at the 12th edition of the agency’s Chief Executive’s Awards and Recognition Ceremony.
Marwa said the annual ceremony was established to ensure that courage, sacrifice and excellence among personnel and partners fighting against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse were recognised and rewarded.
He said the awardees represented the countless officers whose dedication, intelligence and courage had contributed to the agency’s successes in War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) and disrupting drug trafficking networks across the country and beyond.
“The numbers we celebrate this morning are not just statistics, they are stories. They are the story of an officer who trailed a lead for weeks through terrain that offered no comfort.
“They are the story of a command that refused to let a tip go cold.They are the story of a nation slowly, deliberately reclaiming itself from the grip of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.”
Marwa highlighted three major operations that, according to him, captured the character of the agency being built under his leadership.
He said the Amadi Simon cartel, allegedly led by a Nigerian-based in Switzerland, had operated for a long time with a sense of impunity before NDLEA officers, working with international partners, brought it down.
Marwa said the operation involved collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and law enforcement agencies in France, Greece and Switzerland.
He said the Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartels, operating in the forests in Ogun and Oyo were also disrupted through patient intelligence gathering and cross-border cooperation.
The NDLEA chairman also said the agency had disrupted a Tramadol cartel operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor, describing the route as one that had contributed to the opioid abuse crisis among Nigerian youths.
Marwa said the three operations were only a fraction of the agency’s successes, noting that many seizures, arrests and intelligence-led operations were carried out without attracting public attention.
He said more than 200 personnel were being recognised for outstanding performance, while nine officers received special commendations for conduct that went beyond the ordinary demands of duty.
He added that 18 commands were also being honoured for distinguishing themselves across various operational theatres nationwide.
Marwa said recognition was important because it would motivate officers in the field and demonstrate that their sacrifices were valued by the agency.
He said the 12th edition was particularly significant because the agency, for the first time, extended its recognition beyond its personnel.
According to him, 11 non-governmental organisations and eight media platforms, alongside their reporters, were honoured for their outstanding support and commitment to the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa said the war against drug trafficking and substance abuse could not be won through enforcement alone, stressing the importance of NGOs, civil society organisations and the media.
He said NGOs played vital roles in communities by helping young people affected by addiction, while journalists helped to bring issues around trafficking, rehabilitation and the impact of drugs to public attention.
He said the current awards should be regarded as the beginning of a tradition, assuring that more deserving individuals and organisations would be recognised in subsequent editions.
The NDLEA chairman described the fight against illicit drugs as a generational responsibility, warning that traffickers would continue to devise new routes and methods.
“For every cartel we dismantle, intelligence tells us another will attempt to rise. For every corridor we shut down, traffickers will search for another route,” he said.
Marwa also thanked President Bola Tinubu for his continued support and encouragement to the agency and urged NDLEA personnel to remain relentless and make the achievements of the awardees their standard.
He called on CSOs and media to deepen their collaboration with the NDLEA, stressing that the recognition should serve as an invitation to do more.
Earlier, the Director, Planning and Research, NDLEA, Mrs Bridget Ede said the NDLEA’s achievements were driven by a workforce committed to its mandate and strengthened by partnerships with NGOs media and international partners.
According to her, such partnerships have enhanced intelligence sharing, community engagement, drug-demand reduction programmes and overall service delivery.
She described collaboration between the agency and its partners as a “vital force multiplier” in addressing the complex challenges of drug control.
Ede commended Marwa for his leadership and support for initiatives aimed at strengthening morale, accountability and performance across the agency.
She congratulated the 283 awardees, saying their recognition was a testament to their dedication, innovation and commitment to the NDLEA’s mandate.
She urged the awardees to use the recognition to inspire greater dedication and innovation in the service of the nation.(NAN)(www.nannews.nan)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza