Global commitment needed to keep modern societies safe from illicit drugs – Marwa

The chairman/chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), has said that the task to keep modern societies safe from the scourge of illicit drugs demands global commitment. He also assured that Nigeria was doing everything possible to fulfil its end of the bargain.

Marwa said this while addressing a gathering of academics, students, mental health professionals and Nigerians in the diaspora at the Jayhawk Welcome Centre, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, US.

The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement Friday quoted Marwa as saying this while delivering a lecture on ‘War Against Substance Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking: The Nigerian Story’, during the 2023 edition of the Marwa Africana Lecture Series.

While reliving the Nigerian experience in the fight against the global drug scourge, the NDLEA boss said, “We have been able to keep huge cache of drugs from getting into our streets by seizing them at the border or before distribution courtesy of intelligence sharing with our counterparts in source countries or along the transnational routes.

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“For some 33 months now, Nigeria has run an unflagging anti-illicit drug campaign based on global best practices for drug law enforcement and guided by UNODC’s Whole-of-Society approach to the drug conundrum.

“While we have achieved a remarkable mileage, the Nigerian anti-drug campaign is nonetheless work in progress. Be that as it may, our achievements of the past 30 months, relative to the past 30 years, have bolstered our hope of greater accomplishments going forward.”

Others who spoke at the event include Dr Shawn Leigh Alexander, professor and chairman, Department of African and African-American Studies; Dr Peter Ukpokodu, a professor of African and African-American Studies; Dr Dorthy Pennington, also a professor of African and African-American Studies and Dr. Amal El Haimeur, assistant professor of African and African-American Studies, all of the University of Kansas.

They also commended Marwa for his leadership skills and commitment to Nigeria and humanity.