From Olukayode Idowu, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Monday said the huge database of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) would be used to track drug barons and traffickers.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the lead anti-drug law enforcement agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) said this during a courtesy visit to the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Muhammed Babandede in Abuja.
Marwa, after a tour of the NIS database facility, commended Babandede for deploying modern technology and state of the art equipment to keep huge data for the use of the nation’s intelligence and law enforcement community.
He said: “No doubt, the Nigeria Immigration Service database will be of immense use to us in NDLEA in our efforts to track drug barons and traffickers wherever they may be hiding across the world and we will take advantage of the new technology deployed by the NIS now that the NDLEA is on top of its game.”
Marwa also commended the NIS Comptroller General for introducing drug integrity test to the Service, adding that the Agency will continue to push for other government agencies and political office seekers among others to adopt same.
In his response, the NIS boss said Marwa remains the right Nigerian to handle the kind of task NDLEA is saddled with given his past records, experience and competence.
He said: “We have no doubt that you will excel like you have done in previous national assignments and we are ready to work with you. On the drug integrity test, we will like the NDLEA positioned to conduct drug test for the military and other law enforcement agencies.”
Babandede said it is not enough to send those caught with drugs to jail, membership of any drug cartel must equally be regarded and treated with similar measure.