President Muhammadu Buhari has lauded the performance of the Brigadier-General Buba Marwa-led National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the current crusade to rid the streets of illicit drugs.
The President gave the commendation during the recently concluded National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which he presided over in the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He however instructed on steps to be taken to boost the performance and capabilities of the agency, in line with its roles in the national campaign against insecurity, as the proliferation of illicit drugs had been identified as one of the enhancers of crimes and violent activities in different parts of the country.
Revealing President Buhari’s feeling and plans for the NDLEA, as disclosed by the President himself during the NSC meeting, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno, said the plan was part of the vow to use all available resources to defeat the security crisis facing the nation.
“These enablers are discussed in detail and Mr. President has already given direction on how to deal with them, specifically issues of drug abuse as propellants for crime.
“Already Mr. President is very, very much inspired and motivated by the new leadership in the NDLEA and he is also working on measures to further enhance the capabilities and potentials of the NDLEA, which he is very, very happy about the performance in recent months.”
It would be recalled that the National Security Council had consistently cited drug abuse and proliferation as a key factor in the escalation of crimes across the country, particularly terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other sorts of criminal activities.