Posted by Sun News Online on
In what could be described as total war against drug traffickers, the Presidency on Tuesday expressed willingnes to give all necessary support to officers of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Murtala Muhammed Airport Command in the onerous task of nabbing drug peddlers.
In what could be described as total war against drug traffickers, the Presidency on Tuesday expressed willingnes to give all necessary support to officers of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Murtala Muhammed Airport Command in the onerous task of nabbing drug peddlers.
The move, Daily Sun learnt was necessitated by the recent arrest of a Virgin Atlantic cabin crew member and also five others within the last three days.
The Senior Special Adviser on Aviation to President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, Captain Shehu Usman Iyal, who expressed the presidency's concern on the matter, however, commended the NDLEA chairman for the arrest of the drug traffickers either on arrival into the country or on departure.
Iyal, who disclosed that the Presidency is miffed by the development said all necessary financial and material resources would be made available to the command.
He pointed out that the Yar'Adua-led administration is determined to ensure that no one tarnishes the hard-earned image of Nigeria, adding that the arrests of the drug barons was a pointer that the narcotic officers at the airport were diligent with their duties.
"It would have been shameful if the traffickers had been arrested outside the shores of Nigeria at this period the Federal Government is not living any stone unturned in ensuring that the nation takes its rightful place in the comity of nations. Indeed, the arrest has shown that the NDLEA men are alive to their responsibilities at the number one gateway of the country," he stressed.
He, however, enjoined the NDLEA, aviation security agencies and other law enforcement officials at the airports to have an operational synergy so as to ensure there is no secutity lapse in passenger screening and other areas.
On why Nigeria has not joined other countries to acquire the latest-technology scanners for screening which are imperative globally in the wake of various terrorists bombings, the special adviser affirmed that Nigeria has already placed orders for the equipment, revealing that they would soon arrive for installation.
Meanwhile, the Commander, NDLEA, MMIA, Mr. Victor Cole-Showers told Daily Sun on Monaday that his command needs more sniffer dogs for quicker detection of cocaine and other hard drugs.
He said the three dogs currently used by the command is inadequate.
He also urged the government to provide more funds as the tracking of the major drug barons remains a very expensive and highy-sphisticated job.