NDLEA: Wining the war against illicit drugs abuse, peddling in Anambra State

Photo: The commissioner of police HH karma and Sule Momodu state commander NDLEA at security seminar

The menace of illicit drugs abuse and trafficking cannot be down played given the dangers it pose to health and its stimulating tendencies to criminality. Like many other countries of the world, Nigeria is having her share of the scourge. But the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is bracing to the challenge. Assistant Business Editor, Clement Nwoji, examines how the Anambra State Command of NDLEA led by Commander, Momodu Sule, reduced the indulgence to the barest minimum.

Like many other states in Nigeria with big commercial cities, Anambra state is not absolved from the scourge of illicit drugs abuse and trafficking. But with the determination of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working in concert with the State Governor, Willie Obiano and with supports of community leaders over the last three years, the tide had been curtailed bringing sanity and decency into the area.
Going to Anambra State to fight abuse of illicit drugs and trafficking prior to about 2013 was like being sent on a rescue operation because of the alarming rate of drugs transactions, most especially in Obosi, an adjoining town to Onitsha commercial center of the state. Among some of the drugs being peddled include Canabis Sativa, Cocain, heroine, Crack and even to the extent that in December 2012, a clandestine metaphelami laboratory for production of metaphelami was discovered in Nanka community.
But such sad and health threatening situation is now a thing of the past in Obosi as the scourge had been reduced to the barest minimum through the combined efforts of the NDLEA Anambra State Command under the leadership of the State Commander, Momodu Sule and with the support of Governor Obiano, other security agencies and community leaders.
Investigations carried out by The AUTHORITY in Anambra State revealed that the success achieved in combating abuse of illicit drugs and trafficking was not an overnight assignment but took a coordinated programme of actions categorized into two perspectives, mainly: supply reduction and demand reduction. The two approaches culminated into curbing the availability of illicit drugs in the State.
Apart from arrests, prosecutions and convictions of offenders to curb the supply chain of illicit drugs, the anti-illicit drugs abuse and trafficking agency, NDLEA State Command has been engaged in numerous awareness campaigns aimed at achieving illicit drugs demand reduction. These campaigns with diverse strategies include the distribution of over 250,000 copies of a handbook on "Drugs and You" to every student in all the public secondary schools in Anambra State. And the essence is to ensure that the students have at their fingertips the consequences of abusing and trafficking in drugs.
Further, this is being complemented with an hour weekly Programme on radio stations namely: Purity FM and UNIZIK FM. The call-in programme which highlights the dangers involved in illicit drugs enables the audience to ask questions on any area as far as drugs are concerned. The NDLEA has been involved in establishing drug free clubs in all the secondary schools in Anambra state and organizing quiz competitions for schools with drugs free clubs.
Currently, the third edition of this quiz contest is on and in the previous editions, various prizes such as computers, television sets, fans, text books were given to the winner, first and second runners up in addition to some monetary rewards to register for their West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). This is just as the agency involves routine visitation of communities and churches to highlight the dangers in illicit drugs abuse and trafficking.
Such no mean feat couldn't have been possible to achieve by the NDLEA Anambra State Command without cooperation from the various communities and other law enforcement agencies within the territory. Among those who had been supportive of the anti-illicit drugs agency's fight include the "Igwes", the President Generals of various communities, the vigilantes and their commanders in Anambra state, with whom regular meetings are held.
As the wind of change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration is blowing across all spheres of the nation's psychic, the NDLEA led by its Chairman, Ahmadu Giade appears repositioned to key into the change programmes. This is exemplified in its performances in Anambra State where the agency is frontally addressing the issue of drugs in order to sustain peace and security for the inhabitants through unbiased enforcement of laws.
A testimony to this effect, was given by a resident in Onitsha, who however pleaded anonymity. According to him, "Of course you know how Anambra State was before Governor Willie Obiano came into office, the level of kidnappings and pick pocketing in Upper Iweka. All these things are now things of the past because the NDLEA is involved in joint operations that had the Navy, Police, Army and the Department of State Security (DSS).
"And I think, the Anambrians can testify to what they have done in that area. If you will recall, last Christmas, 2014 was one of the most beautiful Christmas we had ever enjoyed for so many years and celebrated it in our communities. But for so many years in the past, people will leave their communities and come to Awka to leave in hotels. But last year's December, everybody went to the village instead of being scared. The NDLEA was part of that success and we must build on that success."
Notwithstanding, its operational equipment challenges, the NDLEA Anambra State Command has introduced innovations, such as moving away from reactive to intelligence driven drugs enforcement. It goes after the drugs barons, big time suppliers/dealers instead of the pocket dealers with the believe that once the main dealers are eliminated, the pocket dealers will subsequently disappear. A Respondent who spoke to The AUTHORITY investigating the trend in Anambra State axis, said, "Take for example, you can come to one community and you find 20-30 pocket dealers. These pocket dealers are being given the drugs by one single individual. Now, if you keep arresting these pocket dealers, as soon as you arrest, there will be a replacement. But if you go after the main dealers and take them out from the community, the pocket dealers will just disappear. So right now, the focus of the NDLEA is to go after such main dealers."
Perhaps, the degree of confidentiality with which the NDLEA command threats every information at its disposal may have enhanced its rate of successes. A chance encounter in Onitsha with the man behind the drivers seat in the fight against illicit drugs abuse and trafficking, Commander Momodu Sule confirms it all. According to him, "We say in NDLEA, if you give us information, your identity is highly protected because of the way information is managed. So if you want to give us any information, there is a process. We will get you to go through the process so that if there is a leakage, we know how to address it. But so far so good, we have never had such leakage.
"So, I want to appeal to the Anambarians to continue to oblige us with information because without which, it becomes very difficult for us to do the job. And I want to urge them to stay off drugs because if you abuse drugs, you will destroy your life. If you traffic, you have the prison waiting for you. We have to stay off drugs abuse and trafficking so that we can have a decent and sane society."
A peep into the profile of Commander Momodu revealed so much about him. But briefly, he is a fellow of the Security Institute, a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) Certified Expert on Financial Criminal Investigation and Anti-Money Laundering. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in History, University of Jos and Diploma in Criminal Justice Administration, University of Lagos.
In his over 20 years Law Enforcement Career, he has served as an investigator, Trainer and Administrator and has held key positions in National Drug Law Enforcement Agency including, Assistant Director, Training; Assistant Director, Research and Estimate; Assistant Director, Curriculum Development and Deputy Zonal Commander, Operation and Intelligence. He has crowned his career with published books including: A Guide and Personal Security; Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004: Obligations, Offenses and Punishments; Explanatory Notes on Anti-Narcotics Laws in Nigeria; Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004 and Allied Laws; A Compendium and Tax Laws and Regulatory in Nigeria.