The British government has offered to undertake the provision of the headquarters and personnel accommodation for the marine unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Eko Atlantic city.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) disclosed this in a statement issued by the Director, Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said while performing the groundbreaking ceremony to signify the commencement of the office project facilitated by the UK Home Office International Operations (HOIO), Marwa assured that the agency will continue to live up to the expectations of Nigerians and its international partners.
He said the confidence reposed in the agency by President Bola Tinubu and the UK government as well as their support will always be a morale booster for the officers and men who take huge risks to dismantle drug cartels daily.
Marwa said the sole aim was to curb the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria, while significantly contributing to the global effort to address the drug problem.
He noted that the office and accommodation facilities being provided by the UK government for personnel of the marine unit of the agency will in no small measure enhance their safety, efficiency and confidence.
“You have provided us a place here, you’ve given us the training, you’ve supported us with the boats and the repairs and now the accommodation. We can only say thank you.
“We wish to give the assurances on what you already know that the NDLEA is a serious agency; we do what we have to do without fear or favour, we will get the job done, that I can give you the assurance as we continue to partner. Thank you very much”, the NDLEA boss stated while addressing the British government officials and their contractors at the site of the project.
He also commended personnel of the Navy, Customs, Immigration and other services in the area for their collaboration with NDLEA.
“We all must stand up together, though the NDLEA is the lead agency in this enterprise, the work is collaborative. We must partner to get the job done. I’ve been briefed that there’s lot of collaboration going on the same way I was at MMIA this morning and spoke to your senior colleagues there and they are all working together as you are here. I urge you to keep it up in this spirit and I wish you more success,” he said.
Marwa said the leadership of the agency is restructuring the marine unit so that it “can become a lean and mean force under an able commander.”
He urged officers of the unit to “brace up, stand up on your two feet and work very hard to make sure that drugs do not pass by water.”
A representative of the UK Home Office International Operations, Kris Hawksfield, assured that the project will be completed by July 2024.