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The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), has assured Nigerians that the military is capable of containing banditry as they did with insurgency.
He added that there was a need to support and encourage the Armed Forces following a viral video of bandits celebrating the ‘capture’ of a military armoured vehicle stuck in a mucky path in Kwashabawa, Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
A statement by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Tuesday stated this when the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka paid him a courtesy visit at the NDLEA’s National Headquarters.
Buba added that the Nigerian military is well placed and capable of containing banditry like they already contained insurgency in the North East.
He urged Nigerians to stand with the military and other security agencies in the ongoing efforts to end all security challenges facing the country.
He said, “Man for man, officer to officer, soldier to soldier – the Nigerian Armed Forces personnel are an equal or better match to any of their colleagues anywhere in the world.
“Their success in peacekeeping operations even before independence is the reason why they are well sought after by the United Nations. The exploits of our armed forces under ECOMOG are still fresh in memory.
“I recall that during my tenure as Defence Adviser in our Permanent Mission to the UN, Nigerian troops were always sought after for their professionalism and effectiveness.
“We must always remember that our men and women in uniform left their families and went to the bush these past 15 years, fighting an asymmetrical warfare in ill-defined territories and an amorphous enemy that easily mixes with the rural population.”
He said if the same security forces have been able to contain the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, which was once far worse than the present banditry in the North West, they will in a matter of time end the criminal activities of non-state actors in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and other parts of the region.
Marwa said rather than fall for the propaganda of criminal elements, the Nigerian public should stand up for massive and unequivocal support to the armed forces and other security agencies in diverse ways.
He said, “Our support and goodwill towards our security forces can come in the form of encouraging words, scholarship for their orphaned children, and other empowerment grants to their widows and families, all of which can be channelled through their Service Headquarters”,
Speaking earlier, Gen. Laka said he came on the visit to seek collaboration between the NCTC and NDLEA because of the strong nexus between drugs and crimes.
He noted that with over 50,000 arrests in three years, the activities of NDLEA have disrupted crimes, and struck a significant blow to the criminal organizations as well as activities that thrive on illicit drugs and substances.
Laka said, “We all know the nexus between drug abuse, crime, and terrorism. We know that drugs fuel various forms of criminality, including terrorism by providing financial resources and impairing judgment, thus contributing to violent extremism. This nexus underscores the importance of a holistic approach to combating these threats.
“We have state-of-the-art laboratories at the centre. We have a toxicology lab, DNA lab, fingerprint lab, data extraction lab, and so on and these labs are open to you. I would like a situation whereby we can collaborate with the NDLEA to fight threats of terrorism in the country.
“Additionally, there is a need for strategic communication and sensitization campaigns on the nexus between drugs, and crime. So, we would also like to collaborate with the NDLEA to organize sensitization workshops, seminars, and so on to enlighten the public on the danger of the use of drugs.”
