If anyone needs a further proof of the yeoman’s job the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is doing, the evidence was delivered this week by Thailand’s envoy to Nigeria during his visit to the agency’s headquarters.
It was heartwarming to hear Kriwat Pharmorabuta, the charge d’affaires and Deputy Head of Mission of the Royal Thai Embassy in Nigeria tell the NDLEA chairman, Brig-Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd): “I have good news I received as we speak because before, there were around 800 prisoners from Nigeria in Thai prisons, but right now, the number has decreased greatly; it is less than 200.”
Thailand is among a handful of Asian countries with record number of Nigerians incarcerated for drug trafficking. In that context, what he meant was that not many Nigerian traffickers had been arrested in the past few years.
So how does that concern the NDLEA?
The Thai envoy clarified this in his next statement: “I would like to thank Your Excellency (Marwa) and to inform you that the government of Thailand gives more importance to the certificate of the NDLEA of Nigeria before issuing visas. There may be some other criteria and other qualifications they might need, but I think it is not the priority. The priority document the government of Thailand needs is the certificate from NDLEA.
“It means that if a Nigerian has the NDLEA certificate, 90 per cent to 95 per cent assurance is guaranteed that they can receive the visas to enter the Kingdom of Thailand.”
Two facts are deduced from the statement of the Thai envoy. The first and most obvious is the importance of the visa clearance certificate the NDLEA issues to Nigerians travelling to Thailand, and at least, seven other countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Philippines and Russia.
This clearance is essentially a background check conducted by the NDLEA to ensure that an applicant does not have any drug-related record. A diligent check and clearance mean that those who receive the visa can be trusted not to get involved in drug trafficking during their stay in those countries.
By implication, the NDLEA kept the bad eggs out.
Aside from the visa clearance, the agency’s interdiction at international airports has helped keep at bay, the wave of potential drug mules that could have trafficked illicit substances from Nigeria to the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
This way, the NDLEA has also kept Nigerian traffickers out of Thailand.
Truth be told, since 2021 when Marwa took over the affairs of the anti-narcotic body and began far-reaching reforms, the NDLEA has regained efficiency in its operations. With over 50, 000 arrests in three years, the trafficking space into or out of Nigeria has shrunk.
While Nigerians may be oblivious of the importance of this development, countries around the world, their governments and anti-drug agencies are appreciative of the efforts of Nigeria’s NDLEA. They show their appreciation with donations of operational equipment and resources, as well as greater collaboration.
The Thai government has similarly offered the same thing. Overall, the NDLEA performance has put Nigeria in good light. What that means is that the image of the country, hitherto defined by stereotypes of Nigerians as drug traffickers, is being redeemed.
For all it has done in the past three years, the NDLEA deserves a standing ovation.
Adekunbi Lawal, Abuja
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