NDLEA, Customs Sign MoU To Tackle Illicit Drugs At Point Of Entrance

Chairman/chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) and the comptroller-general of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance the tackling of illicit drugs at the point of entrance into the country.

The MoU will also target inflicting maximum loss on drug cartels bent on trafficking illicit substances at the detriment of Nigeria and Nigerians.

In his remarks at a brief ceremony held at the NDLEA national headquarters in Abuja yesterday, Gen.

Marwa said the MoU will be a benchmark for information and intelligence sharing, as it will also be a platform for sharing of operational and administrative experiences with a view to adopting best practices that work.

He said, “This is certainly a benchmark for information and or intelligence sharing. It is also a platform for sharing of operational and administrative experiences with a view to adopting best practices that work.

"With this united front, there can only be one assurance that the criminal elements in our society will definitely be the losers and I assure you that they will certainly lose big as we come for them to put them where they rightly belong and cripple their crime syndicates.

“While there is no doubt as to the benefits that this MoU will provide to our two services and the nation at large, it is my hope that its successful execution and implementation will provide the necessary impetus for extension to other sister law enforcement agencies (LEAs) operating at our airports, seaports and land borders. On this basis, it is imperative to drive the implementation of the MoU to ensure that its objectives and derivable are achieved." While stating the great significance of the MoU, Marwa said the document contains a number of innovations that will encourage interpersonal relationships amongst the rank and file as well as at the various levels of command and administration of the two organisations.

According to him, “It provides for joint training of personnel just as it makes provisions for regular meetings of command officers at various levels of our command structures.

These are the meetings of commanders/comptrollers of the various relevant formations, at the relevant directorates/departments of the national headquarters and at the highest level of policy making between the comptroller-general of customs and my office, chairman/chief executive officer, which is expected to take place at least

twice a year."

Also, the comptroller-general of Customs, while speaking at the event, said: “This MoU is sending a very

strong signal to fighting crime. We believe that coming together shows commitment to saving this

nation from drugs and other substances. I want to take this special opportunity to thank my senior for

initiating this MoU. I must say something, he is a very committed person. It is not new to us in the

uniform to see his strides, for those who have had the opportunity to serve with him.

"He is a game player and a game changer. When my attention was drawn to this initiative, I knew this

was the Marwa trend. I thank him for initiating this event, and creating an avenue for us to synergize

and come up with a veritable way for fighting drug abuse in this nation."

He expressed the commitment of the Nigerian Customs Service to the implementation of the MoU,

saying that “We are indeed very grateful, to have been incorporated in this your thought and want to

assure that the entire Customs will be behind this MoU. I want to believe that this collaboration will

make an impact in reducing to the barest minimum the drug menace.”