Pubdate: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 Source: Daily Champion (Nigeria) Copyright: 2005 Daily Champion Contact: http://www.champion-newspapers.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3073 Author: Muhammed Kabir, Kano NDLEA WILL END DRUG TRAFFICKING - LAFIAJI CHAIRMAN, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Alhaji Bello Yusuf Lafiagi, has pledged the determination of the agency to stamp out drug trafficking in the country. Alhaji Lafiagi, who received some post-humorous awards on behalf of his slain staff in Kano and elsewhere in the country recently, told Sunday Champion in an interview last week that Nigeria has emerged as one of the most serious countries currently waging war against drug trafficking across the globe. He maintained that, despite the hazardous and tedious nature of the fight, the agency and its staff had resolved to give traffickers a run for their illicit activities. According to him, the war against drug trafficking must be won in order to redeem the image of the country in global politics and business. Alhaji Lafiagi expressed delight that the agency's efforts were receiving global recognition going by the several awards being awarded them for a job well done. He noted that 54 of such awards had been awarded the agency at both national and international levels. On his person, Lafiagi, noted that even before he assumed the leadership of NDLEA, President Olusegun Obasanjo had awarded him with a post-humorous award of excellence, adding that the President also did award him with the second one recently, which showed some satisfaction of what he was doing. "Today, globally, NDLEA, is one of the most serious agencies fighting drugs trafficking", Lafiagi hinted. Alhaji Bello Yusif explained that he was in Kano to destroy drugs confiscated in the last 3 years, adding that Kano was one of the major cities in the country showing seriousness in curtailing the menace of drug addictions. While commenting on what had happened to five of his men in Kano who were killed by assailants, Lafiagi, stated that they have in collaboration with the police arrested some people who would soon face trial. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager