Maritime Agencies
NDLEA Raises the Alarm As Drug Cartels Now Degrade the Environment, Cause Deforestation
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Nigerian drug cartels now degrade the environment through illicit crop cultivation and deforestation.
The Chairman/CEO, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), disclosed this while outlining efforts by Nigeria to curb the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug production and trafficking at the third committee session of the recent 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA.
According to him, the agency plans to install alternative development strategies that will not only take the cartel out of business but will protect the environment from the damaging effects of illicit drug cultivation and production which they practise.
“Cartels involved in illicit drug cultivation are causing deforestation, resulting in environmental degradation. In search of a lasting solution, we are working to implement an alternative development plan.
This will provide cannabis farmers with better options, such as agricultural loans and improved seedlings. The increasing online activities of drug traffickers, particularly on the dark web, after the COVID-19 pandemic have become a great source of concern.
This will require collaboration and capacity-building to neutralize the growing threat. Nigeria is also strengthening its legal framework through on-going amendments to relevant drug laws.
“Our bilateral and multilateral cooperation efforts have been expanded through the signing and renewal of memoranda of understanding with countries and agencies. This has helped to deepen intelligence sharing, exchange programmes, joint operations, and capacity building, among others.”
Marwa said the Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotics agency will continue to identify gaps and build bridges, both in dismantling drug trafficking cartels and providing access to treatment and counselling services.
“More policies to protect vulnerable groups such as women, children, and displaced persons will be implemented.
To maintain a clear lead over drug trafficking groups, we will continue to engage in thoughtful regulations and targeted strategic law enforcement that are intelligence-led and human rights-centred. We will also leverage stakeholder collaboration as we make progress in the implementation of the SDGs.
No stone must be left unturned, and no community, group, or individual must be left behind. We must extend the fight against drugs on all fronts and ensure that our communities are safe, healthy, and peaceful”, he told the global gathering.
He added that Nigeria is adopting a whole-of-society approach to counter the challenges of drug trafficking in line with the 2030 SDG agendanwhich seeks to promote the rule of law, health, peace, and justice.
“Therefore, while ramping up law enforcement efforts to halt the illicit supply of drugs, we are equally promoting evidence-based drug prevention, treatment, and care programmes.”
While stating that Nigeria is concentrating efforts on mitigating the challenges of narcotic drugs, he declared that “the drug demand reduction strategies are also helping to address the problem of stigmatization and discrimination against people with drug use disorders.
This include the introduction of a 24/7 toll-free call centre where people can call from the comfort of their homes to access quality counselling, treatment, and care.”
“Remarkable progress has also been made in early prevention programmes in schools and communities. This is in accordance with SDG 3, which seeks to promote good health and well-being.
One of the approaches is to build the capacity of young people and provide them with the basic coping skills they need to succeed in life. The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the MTN Foundation, is promoting the Unplugged Drug Programme in schools.
“I am glad to inform that the implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2021–2025 is in its third year. This is Nigeria’s strategic document for addressing the world drug problem.
One of its advantages is the involvement of stakeholders at all levels of government. The master plan provides a multi-agency intelligence-led model that is aimed at disrupting drug trafficking cartels and targeting illicit drug assets and wealth.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
In what signposts the highest monthly revenue generation by any customs command in the history of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Apapa Command, last October, hit a record-breaking ₦304b collection. This is contained in a release by the Command image maker, Superintendent of Customs J.T. Ayagbalo, on behalf of the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba.
Barr Metu delivering his lecture on ‘Badagry: Nigeria’s Gateway to ECOWAS Trade Facilitation’
”This record which beats the ₦264b collected in the month of October 2024 has brought the total collection by the command for the first ten months of this year to ₦2,402,141,493,747.06″.
With this, the release says, the command has surpassed the total collection it achieved in 2024 two months before the end of 2025.
Chief Okey Iroegbu, Publisher, ‘The Baggage Maritime Magazine’ in his welcome remarks.
Comptroller Oshoba who commended the officers and stakeholders for their contributions to the spectacular achievement described it as the beginning of more revenue generation exploits on his watch.
The latest revenue feat, the CAC stated, is an initial proof that Apapa Command is ready to process higher volume of trade which will translate to greater collection for government.
He informed that officers and men have been sensitized ahead for a regime of Drive Through Scanning that would process an average of 150 containers per hour from the quayside which will be revolutionary in the annals of trade facilitation in any West African port.
Rising from an in-house training for newly promoted Deputy Comptrollers and Assistant Comptrollers of Customs, Apapa Command, the CAC explained, is set to deliver optimally in line with the directives of the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR.
” I commend my officers and our compliant stakeholders for this revenue collection milestone, but it’s not our final destination. While we are deploying all tools of trade facilitation as directed by the CGC, including the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) which harmonizes all customs procedures and processes to save time and promote efficiency, we are also preventing revenue leakages.
” We have a zero compromise stance in the application of demand notices (DN) for the recovery of uncovered shortfalls in revenue and my officers are very vigilant checking any attempt to misapply Harmonised System (HS) Code for duty evasion.
” To accentuate the importance we attach to trade facilitation, I have personally paid unannounced visits to some parts of the port access roads where I urged truckers, freight forwarders and licensed customs agents to cooperate with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) by prioritising the movement of their cleared consignments out of the ports
”I have also visited the Port Manager to strengthen our collaboration towards making Apapa Port very efficient. If cleared consignments fail to exit, new ones coming for examination or scanning would be slowed down and this affects trade directly while impeding on the NCS revenue collection and trade facilitation mandates.
CAC Oshoba beckoned on all stakeholders to support the Command to consolidate and build on the existing achievements recorded in revenue collection and trade facilitation.
”We are ready to do better,” Comptroller Oshoba assured.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL), the security outfit keeping surveillance over oil and gas installations and other critical assets in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, has secured an approval to deliver a technical lecture on Drone Security at the 2026 edition of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). This lecture will spotlight the use of drone technology in offshore oil platform protection.
The presentation, scheduled for next year’s global gathering of energy innovation will showcase Tantita’s pioneering efforts in leveraging unmanned aerial systems to monitor and secure Nigeria’s vast offshore assets.
Confirming the development, the company’s Executive Director of Technical and Operations, Captain Dr. Warredi Enisuoh, noted that the approval from OTC reflects growing international recognition of Tantita’s operational successes and technological innovation.
Tantita’s lecture will delve into real-time surveillance, threat detection, and collaborative frameworks for maritime security, aligning with OTC’s broader focus on digitalization, sustainability, and cross-sector innovation in offshore energy.
The 2026 conference is expected to attract thousands of global stakeholders, including engineers, policymakers, and investors, offering a platform for knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships.
Maritime Agencies
Stakeholders Cry Out, Seek FG’s Intervention To Avoid a Return of Apapa Gridlock.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
As renewed tanker and truck build-up begin to show up on the ports access route in Apapa, there are strong indications that the infamous traffic gridlock that once crippled business activities in Apapa and environs is gradually resurfacing, threatening to paralyze movement and port operations once again.
Port workers now battle renewed evening congestion as truckers and tankers swarm the port access roads daily, preventing other road users from seamless transit.
Investigations by the Network of Nigerian Maritime Journalists (NNMI) reveal that while Apapa roads remain relatively free during the day, a long trail of trucks begins forming by evening from both the Costain and Mile 2 entry points.
From the Ijora-Olopa Bridge to Apapa and from Coconut Bus Stop to Tin Can Island’s gates, trucks line up in droves, allegedly paying between N30,000 and N50,000 to secure a spot in the queue.
Officials of key government agencies, investigations show, are complicit in the illegal toll collection as they allegedly look the other way as the situation worsens.
These agencies include the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Nigeria Police.
The most affected areas include Wharf Road, Warehouse Road, Commercial Road, Burma Road, and Creek Road.
Speaking on the development, Moses Fadipe, former National Coordinator of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT), attributed the resurgence to the return of vested interests who previously profited from the chaos. The Lagos State Government, he noted, knows what steps to take to prevent a full-blown crisis.
Martins Enebeli, President of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) and the Nigerian Licensed Ship Chandlers Association (NILSCA), blamed government insincerity for the relapse.
He urged authorities to prioritise rail transport for cargo evacuation from Lagos ports and to revive Eastern and Delta ports to ease pressure on Apapa.
“Bonded terminals should be relocated far from the ports and connected by rail. Government must stop concentrating port operations in the West while neglecting other regions,” Enebeli stated.
Speaking anonymously, a senior official confirmed that a syndicate involving both state and non-state actors is profiting from the tolls collected from truckers, exacerbating the traffic crisis.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have been unanimous in their call for urgent federal government intervention to dismantle the alleged racketeering network and restore sanity to Apapa’s transport corridors.
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Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoSeme Customs Hits Big: Intercepts 10,000 Bags of Expired Flour, Cannabis; Facilitates 53, 989.47MT Exports in A Month
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Maritime Agencies1 week agoPTML Customs Hits Over N350Bn in 9 Months, Intercepts ₦200m Illicit Pharmaceuticals,
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Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoFocus on Innovation, Integrity and Continuous Learning, Apapa Customs Boss Charges Newly Promoted Officers
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Maritime Agencies6 days agoOTC 2026: Tantita Secures Approval for Lecture on Drone Security
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Maritime Agencies6 days ago Stakeholders Cry Out, Seek FG’s Intervention To Avoid a Return of Apapa Gridlock.
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Maritime Agencies1 week agoCILT Honours Dr Okonna, MAN Oron Acting Rector, with Outstanding Leadership and Service Excellence Award
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Maritime Agencies4 minutes agoOCTOBER REVENUE: Apapa Customs Breaks Record, Nets 304Bn In A Month