8 NDLEA Officers Receive Special Promotion For Outstanding Waterway Operations
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Eight operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have been awarded special promotion for their brave and professional conduct.
A statement on Thursday by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, says the operatives, who are attached to the Marine Command of the agency, displayed professionalism and bravery during a recent operation to arrest drug traffickers and interdict canoes and boats moving illicit drugs from Ghana to Nigeria through the Lagos waterways.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to decorate the eight officers with their new ranks and also hand them commendation letters at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), explained that every breakthrough of the agency tells the world a story about how its operatives working hard to build a new NDLEA, adding that, “it also reinforces our conviction as an organisation that we are on the right track. So, an occasion such as this is a source of pride for me.”
Justifying the essence of the special promotion and commendation, the NDLEA boss said, “In this case, we have officers who exhibited bravery and an unwavering sense of duty in the face of adversity on the waterways to thwart an attempt by a criminal gang to smuggle 60 jumbo bags of illicit drugs from a neighbouring country.
“Despite obvious attempts to thwart our interdiction bid, our officers were resilient and prevailed over the situation. It is in recognition of their gallantry that they are given special promotion and we are holding this ceremony to decorate them. This is in keeping with our culture of rewarding hard work, results and sacrifice”, he said.
Marwa said the reward scheme is also part of the sweeping reforms he instituted in the past three years to motivate officers to raise their performance level.
Under the scheme, he said, the agency has instituted the bi-annual Command Awards and Commendation as well as special promotion for deserving officers, among other measures. “I must say that the eight officers I will be decorating shortly showed bravery and dedication to duty and are deserving of a reward”, he said.
While recapping the details of the particular operation, Marwa said that on the 23rd of August 2024, the Special Marine Squad received actionable intelligence at 3am, and immediately swung into action, which led them to intercept a boat along Alfa beach, in Lekki, Lagos.
“Another boat was equally sighted. They however faced some unfavourable encounter in the process of intercepting the second boat, but in the face of violent provocation, our officers did not lose focus, as they went ahead to recover the exhibits”.
The NDLEA boss disclosed that the operatives were able to seize 60 bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2, 400 kgs. They successfully arrested a suspect, 30-year-old Ghanaian, Hambo Tete, and impounded the exhibit boat powered by three outboard engines.
According to Marwa, “the action of these officers in the night was significant for two reasons. First, it is an affirmation that we have been successful at making the normal trafficking routes through the airport and land borders impenetrable. Hence, traffickers seeking alternative routes are trying to turn to the waterways”.
The second significance, he explained, is that such traffickers will meet their Waterloo even on the waterways because of the presence of operatives of the Marine Command.
“Those who have been following the development in NDLEA are aware that we now have a full-fledged Marine Command with well trained divers. In the recent past months, we have been reinforcing the Command with equipment and training for which we are grateful to the UK Home Office International Operations. What this crop of officers did is a loud statement to trafficking organisations that NDLEA will continue to work with other security agencies and stakeholders to ensure that our waterways are not safe routes for drug traffickers just as the airports, seaports and land borders.”
Addressing the promoted officers and their colleagues across all commands and formations, Marwa charged them on the need “to sustain the momentum of our trajectory and also protect the integrity of our job. That entails that we should be mindful of our actions and activities in the line of duty or off duty.”
“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, as these officers did, and as long as we don’t compromise our mandate, we shall always prevail, without casualty and without erring in our action”, he added.
The promoted officers are: Dick Aaron Dick; Alabi Mayowa; Gabriel Ubokikwan; Aso Daniel John; Abdul Emmanuel Sule; Ngabolo Victor Sonpano; Jonah Emmanuel Sule and Membe Timipa Gabriel.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the team leader, Aaron Dick, expressed gratitude to the NDLEA boss for transforming the Agency to an efficient and result-oriented organisation through purposeful and exemplary leadership.
He said the special promotion and commendation will not only motivate him and his colleagues to do more but will equally inspire other personnel of the agency to be exceptional in the discharge of their duties.
