Press Release
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Commends The Resilience Of Officers
Chairman/Chief Executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (Rtd.) has commended the resilience of the officers and men of the Agency who have remained on top of their mandate in spite of the hostile operating environment. Col. Abdallah made this known during his visit to Kano State Command for an on-the-spot assessment of the circumstances that led to the gruesome murder of an officer by unknown assailants.
A team of NDLEA officers of Kano State Command had embarked on an operation on the fateful day but ran into an armed gang on the way back to the office. One officer, Tanko Ampani, an Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics, died from injuries sustained from the cross-fire, while three other officers sustained injuries from gunshots that riddled their operational vehicle.
According to the Chairman who was in Kano with the top command officers from the National Headquarters of the Agency, “the loss of this hardworking officer is distressing and has once again brought to the fore the hazards we face everyday as narcotic personnel. But thank God for your resilience. You have remained undeterred but more determined. It sends the right message that the more attacks we face, the more strengthened is our resolve”.
The Chaiman also remarked that though painful, the ultimate mark of patriotism is to die for one’s fatherland. “The loss of every single officer can be very traumatic”, the Chairman noted, assuring that no body touched an NDLEA officer and go scot-free. “They had better not touch my men and do my officers no harm any further. It may take a while but no body touches my personnel and go scot- free”, the Chairman warned during an interactive session with the staff of the Command.
On the issue of infrastructure gap in the Agency, the Chairman said he is pursuing with more vigour all the logistics required to be properly equipped and ensure that officers and men are properly protected while on assignment. He also enjoined the officers to remain steadfast. “No amount of compensation is enough for this irreplaceable loss. More than anything else, what we owe the late officer is to sustain the ideals of a drug-free Nigeria for which he lived and died,” the Chairman remarked, adding that the operatives should be mindful of the mindlessness of their targets and do all within their powers to mitigate the risks associated with their job.
He promised to expand the Agency for efficiency, proficiency and smooth career progression. “We are working at a new structure for the Agency that will give the officers and men a pride of place, career-wise. The Agency needs to be expanded for it to have an extensive and intensive grip of the country’s landscape and this will also create room for your career growth”, he assured the officers and men while urging them to be patient.
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Jonah Achema, ACN
Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs
