The federal government has approved the purchase of four armoured vehicles at the cost of N580.5 million for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
According to him, the approval became important, considering NDLEA’s recent success stories and the possibility of targeted attacks on its personnel.
The Council also reviewed the successes recorded by the agency between January and July 2022, under the leadership of its current chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (Rtd), during which period it had arrested over 18,940 suspects, including securing 2,904 convictions from the courts, a development that has built up the risk of its personnel being targets of reprisal attacks by affected criminal rings.
Malami said, “today, a memo was presented by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. Specifically, the Federal Ministry of Justice. The memo is related to a parastatal under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney General, which is the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“The purpose of the memo was to seek the approval of Council for the award of contract for the supply of 4 customized armored security vehicles or 14 seater model vehicle for the NDLEA in favour of Devcom Integrity Services Limited and the contract sum of N580,500,000 only, inclusive of the 7.5 Value Added Tax.
“It has a delivery period of 16 weeks. It is common knowledge to all that in recent times the NDLEA has been repositioned and arising from the support in terms of capacity building hardware and associated things, they have recorded an extra ordinary unprecedented success.
“Of recent and still in our memory is a seizure of cocaine having a market value of about $278 million, which in Nigeria Naira translates to about N194 billion naira and in terms of volume is about 1.8 tonnes. So, with all these successes recorded, it is only logical that the criminals and criminal syndicate are now devising means, inclusive of attacks on the personnel of the NDLEA.
“So, it is with that in mind that a memo was presented to FEC seeking approval of the Council for the procurement of armored vehicles for the agency.
“The memo was taken and at the end of the day, it was approved, contract for the procurement of 14-seater armoured personnel vehicles which was approved. The delivery period for the vehicles to the NDLEA is 16 weeks from today. And the company that has been granted the contract is Devcom Integrated Services Limited.
“We are happy with the successes being recorded by NDLEA for the purpose of further information. I think it is relevant to state that NDLEA has succeeded in many ways.
“Between January and July, 2022, it has succeeded in arresting over 18,940 suspects. They have equally secured 2,904 convictions within the period, which has led in effect to the unprecedented reprisal attacks on officers. So, with the progress being recorded, it becomes necessary that the agency be supported with armored vehicles and Council has considered and indeed approved accordingly,” the Minister said.
Speaking about what the administration has done differently to achieve the much successes in the fight against illicit drugs and substance trade and abuse, the Minister pointed out that the Buhari administration had shown much more political will to achieve success in the war.
“I think in every other thing, this government has demonstrated a capacity to do things differently, not only as it relates to the fight against drug abuse. I believe if you juxtapose the successes, progresses made by this government from 2015 to date, as against what obtained from 1999 to 2015, the difference is clear.
“This is a government that within a period of, for example, from January 2022 to date, about N40 billion worth of drugs were confiscated, arising from the efforts of the government; the policy, the position and the political commitment demonstrated. This is a government that, even as at last week, has succeeded, by way of establishing an unprecedented track record in having the largest seizure of cocaine of about N194 billion value.
“So, from whichever way you look at it, the political goodwill on the part of the government, the finances and funding, the policy-drive and implementation is what distinguished and makes this government, under the leadership of President Buhari, distinct and different from what obtained before now.
“The clear answer is the fact that there exists a great political will in addressing the challenges being faced in all directions and in all respect,” he added.
Asked why the cocaine recently confiscated was destroyed by burning, especially when it would be needed as exhibit in court, he said “they were burnt because we are not drug dealers, our obligation is to ensure that they are eliminated and stopped from circulating in the system. There should be evidence and the evidence is there, accordingly profiled before being destroyed.
“Even the Chairman mentioned it, they retained a little to us in court, but destroyed most of it and was witnessed by the people that carried it. It was also in the news that was carried.
“Most of it was destroyed and I think somebody was saying that why should they destroy something worth N194 billion, but if government were to start trading that, we’ll become drug dealers as well. We cannot derive an economic benefit from it, but to destroy it, because you don’t want drugs circulating,” he said.
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