Mohamed Buba Marwa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has approved special promotions for eight officers of the Agency’s Marine Command. The promotion recognizes their bravery and professional conduct during a recent operation that intercepted illicit drug shipments on the Lagos waterways, resulting in the seizure of 60 jumbo bags of cannabis and the arrest of a Ghanaian suspect.
At a ceremony held on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja, Marwa praised the officers for their exceptional performance. “Every time we have a breakthrough, it tells the world a story about the new NDLEA we are working hard to build.
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It also reinforces our conviction as an organization that we are on the right track. So, an occasion such as this is a source of pride for me,” he said while decorating the officers with their new ranks and presenting them with commendation letters.
Marwa explained that the special promotion was in recognition of the officers’ resilience in the face of adversity. “In this case, we have officers who exhibited bravery and an unwavering sense of duty on the waterways to thwart an attempt by a criminal gang to smuggle 60 jumbo bags of illicit drugs from a neighboring country. Despite attempts to thwart our interdiction bid, our officers were resilient and prevailed over the situation,” he remarked.
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The NDLEA boss highlighted that this reward scheme is part of broader reforms instituted over the past three years aimed at motivating officers to excel in their duties. “Under this scheme, we have instituted the bi-annual Command Awards and Commendation as well as special promotion for deserving officers. I must say that the eight officers I will be decorating shortly showed bravery and dedication to duty and are deserving of a reward,” Marwa added.
Recounting the operation, Marwa revealed that on August 23, 2024, the Special Marine Squad acted on intelligence received at 3 a.m., leading to the interception of a boat along Alfa Beach in Lekki, Lagos. The officers faced challenges while attempting to intercept a second boat but remained focused, successfully seizing 60 bags of “Ghanaian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis weighing 2,400 kg. They also arrested a 30-year-old Ghanaian suspect, Hambo Tete, and impounded the boat, which was powered by three outboard engines.
Marwa emphasized the significance of the operation, noting that it demonstrates the effectiveness of the NDLEA in making traditional trafficking routes through airports and land borders impenetrable, pushing traffickers to seek alternative routes via waterways. “Such traffickers will meet their Waterloo even on the waterways because of the presence of our Marine Command,” he asserted.
In his address to the promoted officers and their colleagues, Marwa urged them to maintain the momentum and integrity of their work. “I expect them and every officer not to rest on their oars. There is so much work to do out there, and there are dangers involved. As long as we conduct our operations in line with established SOPs and don’t compromise our mandate, we shall always prevail,” he concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the promoted officers, team leader Aaron Dick expressed gratitude to Marwa for his transformative leadership of the NDLEA, noting that the special promotion will inspire them and their colleagues to continue delivering exceptional results in their duties.