ASHENEWS reports that the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa has justified the decision of the anti-narcotics body to go after the assets of drug barons and traffickers as part of ongoing offensive action against illicit drugs and cartels.
Marwa, represented by the Secretary of NDLEA, Mr. Shadrach Haruna disclosed this during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday to kick off week-long activities to celebrate the 2024 International Day Against Drugs and Illicit Trafficking.
Marwa, while speaking during the conference noted that the rationale behind the fresh drive of the Agency was backed by the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA 2022).
“Permit me to share with you that our offensive action against drug cartels and traffickers, launched in January 2021, has to date continued to yield the desired result with the arrests and prosecutions of several barons. As you are all aware, two serial traffickers got life imprisonment in court in April.
“Our prosecution efforts have continued to achieve successes in courts given the painstaking investigations and diligence in the prosecution of cases.
“Our water tight case preparations are unassailable. This has been further strengthened with our forfeiture regime with the passage of Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA 2022).
“Apart from conviction, the assets of the convicts used as instrumentality of the crime or the proceeds derived from the crime would be forfeited to the federal government.
“Indeed, a civil action in rem could be maintained against assets reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime in which case the burden of proving the licit origin of the asset would be on the defendant who claims ownership of the asset.
“This diligent and painstaking preparation of investigations and prosecutions explains the success of the high conviction rate,” the NDLEA boss said.
Speaking further, the UNODC Country Deputy Representative, Mr. Danilo Campisi called on government at all levels and other stakeholders in Nigeria to invest in drug use preventive measures to avoid a 40% rise in the population of drug users in the country, especially the youth population.
In his words, “Projections show that by 2030, there will be a 40% increase in the use of drugs in Africa, based on the population of young people. This is extremely concerning, if we consider that 2030 is only six years away.
“We are all familiar with the saying: “prevention is better than cure” and considering the data and projections, it has become even more critical for Nigeria to invest heavily in drug use preventive measures.
“I do not think it would be an exaggeration to describe this as a national emergency. If the country is to take on the challenge of this projected increase in drug use, it is imperative that it adopts scientific evidence-based approaches that prioritise prevention and treatment.”
