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By Emeka Obasi
Something different must happen to the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the appointment of Ambassador Mohammed Buba Marwa as President and CEO. I saw him pick up again, wearing a shirt and long pants.
Marwa did not storm the office in a suit or flowing gown, the one a Turkish hotelier described as a flying parachute in 1993 when chef Ernest Shonekan visited Istanbul. An expatriate military instructor in Teshie, Ghana called it pajamas.
What I do know about NDLEA is that they are always after Indian hemp growers, from Abi in Delta State to Ondo Bushes. Every now and then they attack brothels in Kano looking for tramadol and codeine addicts. In Lagos, I believe the agents are focused on the international airport.
Of course, this is all part of their job. We watch on television how smugglers hide cocaine and heroin under the hood of their bodies. Some people use shoes and even books to cover up illicit drugs. Many of them disappear from our radar after the routine parade.
Marwa should bring something different. Beyond the drug lords, he needs to focus more on the thousands of Nigerians who have become more dangerous than the giant lords of the illicit trade. These younger people are the reason why bloodletting has become part of the daily news in the country.
I really don’t consider a marijuana smoker to be a safety risk. Anyone who beheads people after a puff of ganja must be crazy. We should not blame him on what he smoked. In Jamaica they don’t do as many tummy cuts as we do in Nigeria. Marijuana is safer than cigarettes.
The higher Bob Marley went, the better it is for reggae music. I did not see a butcher Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Musicians whose lives have gone from good to evil can only blame their misfortune on other sources, not on Indian hemp. There is nothing like the insurgency in Jamaica.
We are in great difficulty in the country. Anyone who unleashes terror is rich in cocaine, heroin, tramadol and codeine. Killer ranchers, bandits, kidnappers, ritualists, cultists and insurgents cannot function without filling their systems with these drugs.
What I expect from Marwa is to turn the NDLEA into a fighting force. It is about discussing the NDLEA law with lawyers. I am sure that the Agency has a solid legal department. I also know that Marwa’s four children from his first wife, Zainab, née Agbaso, are lawyers.
If the law needs to be changed, fine. The National Assembly is there to do what is necessary even if there is a need to lobby. Marwa is a politician from Michika to Adamawa. He should know how to deal with Abuja lawmakers.
The new NDLEA standard should be to raid not only forests and streams. Night clubs, student parties, nocturnal political rallies and street carnivals should be monitored. Car parks and night markets should also be monitored.
NDLEA should partner with the military for proper training, as they are dealing with criminals who are equally well trained and sophisticated. I think the Citadel Counter Narcotics school in Jos should be highly militarized and another depot established in the south.
The city’s new sheriff has a lot to offer. He is Fulani, married to an Igbo woman and is so well known in Yoruba land. Even Iya Biliki, the pure water hawker rides Keke Marwa as she rushes to Jankara market. Marwa was governor of Lagos.
The Excellence label began in Borno where Marwa was governor between 1990 and 1992. He was also high commissioner in South Africa. These assignments should help now. Boko Haram in the North East cannot cut off heads under clear conditions. Drugs must be at work.
Marwa is a retired Army One Star General. His younger brother also resigned as a general and their father left as a captain. Marine. Six of his companions retired as rear admirals.
In the Air Force, Vice Air Marshal SE Hedima feels the pain of the insurgency. Group captain Chima Nwankwo is still there. Both can press the buttons on their classmate, even in retirement. If NDLEA members participate in a raid, armed forces personnel could provide support.
For further financial support, Marwa is well placed to meet with some state governors. Adm. Anthony Bob-Manuel could take him to Nyesom Wike in Rivers State. General Cletus Emein will lead the visit to Creek Haven, Yenegoa. Imo is even easier.
In Owerri, Marwa is a worthy in-laws. Cdre Acholonu is from there, Cdre Anthony Oguguo was also governor. Naval officers, like Marwa, belong to the same NDA group. They will take her to Governor Hope Uzodinma for express assistance.
It will not be easy to make changes. This is why the boss of the NDLEA should create a formidable direction of the media. People will look for scandals when things start to work out in earnest. The former presidents of NDLEA received too high a dose. Fidelis Oyakhilome would not forget Jennifer Madike.
Musa Bamaiyi was accused of stealing his brother’s wife when junkies and barons sensed the heat. Bello Lafiaji and Dr Olusegun Obasanjo disagreed. Mohammed Abdallah was allegedly involved in the recruitment. Marwa must prevent us from having more Pablo Escobars.
Vanguard News Nigeria
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