3rd January, 2016
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA Seme Command has vowed to intensify its war against drug traffickers who use the Benin Republic border route to bring drugs into Nigeria.
Addressing journalists at the Command’s headquarters at Ibereko, Badagry, the Commander, Mr. Udotong N. Essien eulogized his officers, the Chairman and management of the agency for the great feat they achieved in 2015.
According to him, drug war is a collective responsibility that requires the cooperation of every well meaning citizen especially in a terrain like Seme where Nigerians and their Benin neighbours intermarry, and there are no barriers, with so many track routes and other challenges.
Essien denied the perceptions that his officers use black magic otherwise known as juju to detect drug peddlers in the midst of heavy human and vehicular traffic.
He said the prowess of his officers has to do with methodology and strategy.
“Before you become an NDLEA officer, you must be properly trained. This training centres on what we call risk assessments and profiling. When you see someone that has something to hide, mere eye contact or his movement tells you if he is a suspect.
“There is something that we call trend in drug trafficking. This deals with their different patterns. How they smuggle drug through the airport is different from that of the land border. The are very innovative,” he said.
According to him, “we apply intelligence-led policing to be able to nab them. A lot of profiling, like where one is coming from and heading to etc. But thank God ECOWAS is trying to build the border to be like other international borders. It will help to checkmate everyone coming in and out. Nevertheless, we are really doing our best despite its porous nature.”
On the synergy that exists between his agency and other security agencies at the border, Mr. Essien said it is near perfect.
“From the traditional rulers to the Police, the Customs, in fact all of them. We exchange information and suspects.”
He further said 2015 was a glorious year in terms of encouragement from the management.
“There is no officer who did not partake in training courses either locally or internationally and promotions. But like Oliver Twist, we need more in terms of gadgets, operational vehicles etc. for optimal performance. The management has promised that this year’s budget tagged budget of hope is fashioned to take care of our welfare and other exigencies.
“We made quite a good amount of seizure of currencies in Naira, CFA and US Dollars. This seizures were as result non declaration or not being able to explain the source. We made more arrests of Cannabis sativa(Indian Hemp) otherwise referred to as skunk in Ghana, where all seized Indian Hemp came from. This Ghana specie is said to be superior to the ones grown locally here.
“We made 31 arrests which include a Ghanaian lady identified as Juliet Adjei, caught with 35.5 kilograms of Cannabis sativa, Samuel Alabi who hails from Ogun State, 2 kilograms; Mohammed Ibrahim from Kebbi, 7 kilograms; Ismailla Aliyu and Edwin Igbokwe arrested with 781.5 kilograms, N480,000, Motorcycles, 1 Yamaha boat engine etc.”
He said some of the suspects are facing prosecution in court, while some have been convicted, and others have been transferred to DAFI.
The Commander also advised parents whose children are schooling in Benin Republic to monitor their activities, adding that recently, a student in one of the popular universities there was arrested with large quantities of Indian Hemp.
The following are the items seized from the 22 suspects convicted at Federal High Court, Lagos:
Total amount of drugs seized 907.45 kgs of Cannabis sativa; Amount of currency/monetary exhibits N3,849,650; 2,307,000 million CFA and 50,391 USD.
Vehicles/motorcycles seized: One M/Benz V-boot saloon car; 3 Honda Motorcycles, and one Yamaha Engine boat.