By Stphen Ubanna
For the first time , since the appointment of Buba Marwa, an Army Brig. Gen. and former Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, during Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration in 2021, as the Chairman of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, he has never found necessary to pay a working to any of the former Director Generals of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, let alone discuss the exclusion of the NDLEA, from the Deep Blue Project on how it will be integrated into it to handle the area of drug abuse in Nigerian waters.
The NDLEA, Chairman, who may have taken time over the years to understudy the core responsibility of the NIMASA, in overseeing the project, which the Katsina state born Nigerian President was said to have spent the North American country of the United States, US, $195.3 million to procure maritime security equipment.
The maritime security assets include 17 Interception Boats, 16 Amphibious Vehicles to patrol Nigerian Coastal ways, two Special Vessels, SMV, two Special Mission Aircrafts, three Helicopters and three Helicopters for Surveillance of Nigerian Economic Zone, EEZ, and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, domiciled in the ministry of mines and blue economy, agency.
NDLEA, Chairman, may not have it found that the agency could be excluded from being of the Deep project to checkmate smuggling of drugs into the Nigerian market through the sea. Dayo Mobereola, Director General, of the Agency may have taken advantage of the NDLEA Chairman visit to affirm its commitment to supporting the drug enforcement outfit in the fight against drug barons and trafficking within Nigerian’s maritime domain.

‘’We are glad to welcome the NDLEA Team led by Brig Gen. Marwa, whose exemplary Leadership has brought significant progress in the fight against illicit drugs’’, stressing that NIMASA, firmly committed to partnering with the NDLEA, to tackle the menace of drug trafficking, particular, trough the nation’s ports and terminals.
He was said to have made a declaration that together they can ensure that the Nigerian maritime domain is not exploited for drug trafficking and other illicit trades. The NIMASA boss, who could not hide his feelings was said to have commended the Army General for his remarkable achievements in NDLEA, combating drug -related crimes the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The NIMASA BOSS, may have won the heart of the former Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, when he pledged that that maritime agency will collaborate with NDLEA, to protect the shipment of drugs into the most populous West African
In apparent response to the NIMASA’s helms remarks remarks, Marwa, was said to have expressed his unflinching gratitude for the warm reception granted him and Management by the NIMASA Authorities country and emphasized the need for collaboration to address the rising threat of drug trafficking through the country’s maritime channels.
He was said to have asserted that ‘’as the agency is responsible for controlling drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria that the agency recognize that the task requires collaboration with other critical stakeholders like NIMASA, to succeed in the anti-drug war. The NDLEA boss may have shocked Nigerians when he stated that the global maritime space is increasingly becoming a conduit for the illegal movement of drugs. This may have informed why the agency Leadership had said that it is interested to work with NMASA, to address this challenge.
Highlighting recent developments in the country over the drug war, Marwa, who was said to have alluded to the seizure of illicit drugs transported through Lagos seaports, noting that it underscores the need for a joint effort to effectively secure the nation’s seaports.
The NDLEA Chairman, was said to have said to the hearing of the NIMASA, CEO, of the establishment of Marine Command by the agency to focus on this emerging treat. This may have given him the audacity to propose the collaboration between the agency’s Marine Command and the NIMASA, on the implementation of the multimillion Deep Blue Project’’ to enhance protection of Nigeria’s maritime space’’.
As a prelude to ensuring that the maritime regulatory agency move speedily to take decision on the issue of collaboration with its Marine Command, Brig. Gen. Marwa, rtd, has given his word ‘’to support in sensitizing the NIMASA staff and Cadets under the National Seafarers National Development Program, NSDP, on the dangers of drug abuse.
In an emotional burst, Mobereola, who appears to be under intense pressure from NDLEA quarters, may have given Marwa, the NDLEA Chairman a cause to be cheery when he promised that the agency would explore avenues to integrate its Marine Command personnel into the existing maritime security architecture, popular, Deep Blue Project.
Mobereola, the NIMASA, helmsman, was said to have made the NDLEA, Team, who had visited the agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre, led by the Chairman , to understand that the Deep Blue Project was an initiative of the Federal ministry of Transportation, which had been inherited by the Federal ministry of marine and blue economy, , a new ministry carved out from the old ministry of Transportation under the close watch of Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state.
Although, NIMASA, the maritime regulatory agency is coordinating the Deep Blue Project but there are contributions from other security agencies like the Nigerian Navy, which currently has Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, as the Chief of Naval Staff, CNS and Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, Nigerian Air Force, NAF AirForce, Marine Police, which is an arm of the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, designed to protect the country’s marine assets and Department of State Services, DSS. If Brig. Gen. Marwa, succeeds in in getting the NDLEA, Marine Command personnel into the Deep Project, it will add up to six, the number of agencies that had made contributions to the Deep Blue Project. While the Nigerian Navy operates and maintains the sea assets, the NAF, operates and services the air assets. This may have informed why the maritime security assets had remained in good working Condition since June 10, 2021, without any breakdown., thus putting the pirates and sea thieves to operate under ground for fear of playing into the hands of the security personnel who might waste them for illegally operating in Nigerian waters.