Murder for land: Communities under siege, petition to obi of Ogwashi Ukwu

Emeka Ibemere

A family and two communities are up in arms against those, who murdered their two sons of the same father over sale of several plots of land belonging to Agidiase and Agidiahe quarters in Ogwashi Ukwu Kingdom, Aniocha  south local government Area of Delta State, South-South, Nigeria, which are being sold illegally to strangers.

Now the communities are under siege and have written to their traditional ruler, the Obi of Ogwashi Ukwu, over threat of live and property in Ogwashi Ugwu posed by gang of land grabbers to restore peace and security in the land by investigating the Iyase, Chief Collins Afuwah, the alleged mastermind of land seller.

 Trouble started for the family of Ngozi Ejiofor, of Agidiesei quarters; of Ogwashi Ukwu when gunmen numbering over 20 stormed his farmland in a desperate bid to sell the farm land but because of the opposition of the two brothers, who were allegedly at the farm when the goose invaded the property on different days they strangulated one, while the other was shot to death.

It was gathered that the late Peter Emeka Ejiofor and Mordi Enwe

azu, were killed by the rampaging land grabbers in a brutal manner. The killing which took place on August has put fear into the communities and forcing them to be pegging down in going to their land farms for fear of death.

For years, the Agidiase and Agidiahe communities have been fighting against illegal sell of their land by some unscrupulous indigenes of their communities who are not minding the future of their generations, yet unborn to collect peanuts and ‘dash’ out their inheritance for free. The communities have gone to courts, but have been denied justice by a cabal who have infiltrated the judiciary in Delta State to perpetrate crimes. Not bordered, the communities vowed not to relent to make sure that Ogwashi Ukwu lands are secured from bands of criminals.

Prior to the murder saga, on July 30 2014, a senior citizen and an elder and father of the deceased had written a petition to the authorities and stakeholders, including the Obi of Ogwashi-Ukwu highlighting the dangerous trend in the kingdom, especially the criminalisation of Ogwashi Ukwu youths by one of the indigenes of the community fingered in the illegal selling of land belonging to the two communities. In the petition, which was made available to Daily Newswatch and entitled: “the apparent militarisation of Ogwashi Ukwu and destruction of our farmland by Chief Collins Afuwah: A plea to call him to order.”

The petition which was also made available to the Governor of Delta State, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Asaba, Chairman Aniocha South Local Government Area, Commissioner of Police, and Delta State Command, Asaba, was also sent to the Divisional Police Officer, Ogwashi Ukwu and Council of Elders, Ogwashi Ukwu harped on the militarisation of Ogwashi Ukwu youths, the use of a de facto militia to destroy the farmlands, food crops, economic trees and ancient boundary trees, also condemned the fermenting of the foundation for festering crises in Obi Ogwashi ukwu kingdom by chief Collins Afuwah, said to be the Iyase of Ogwashi Ukwu kingdom and prayed that the Obi and the security agencies in Nigeria should safe the communities from the hands of the alleged Afuwah.

On three occasions, I and my sons encountered a company of young men numbering 10 on my farmland. Eight of these men were armed with guns and matchetes. The remaining two were manning a bulldozer”, Elder Ngozi Ejiofor, writes in his petition to Obi.

“These men, constantly smoking marijuana, Indian hemp were engaged in constructing roads and demarcating of plots on my farmland, thereby destroying my food crops, economic trees, ancient boundary trees and cash crops. They could hardly answer our questions; the armed men were trotting about threateningly with their guns and other dangerous weapons”.

According to Ejiofor, who signed the petition, the gunmen trespassed on his farmland and that nobody notified him of the intention to carry out such an exercise and the legality of such plan. He disclosed that he and the community never entered into any dialogue with any person on the issue.

He explained that the armed men simply swooped on them and started destroying their land farm, cash and food crops and in the process fostering a deep sense of insecurity on the community.

 “We no longer go to our farm without fear and the only response we get from the invading army of land speculators was that chief Collins Afuwah, the Iyase of Ogwashi Ukwu sent them,” Ejiofor said.

“On each of these three occasions, the men bearing arms were different and none of them was a familiar face to me or my sons. This is suggestive that the Iyase has a pool of imported armed men at his service. By extrapolation, the Iyase has at least 24 armed men at his beck and call. Since the Iyase is a high Chief in your domain and I’m one of your subjects, grant me the liberty to ask two questions.

“Does Chief Collins Afuwah run a militia and does His Majesty authorize him to organize and manage a militia organization and use same to intimidate your subjects on their lands”, Ejiofor queried the Obi, in his petition. The petitioner condemned in strong terms the gangsters that are growing in Ogwashi Ukwu which he claimed that was formed by one man because of his penchant for selling of lands.

Ejiofor queried why the purported Iyase should act outside the law and culture that created his office and vehemently worried the type of culture of impunity and element of security challenges of the town Chief Afuwah is fostering on the community. According to him, fear and insecurity have enveloped the communities and that Afuwah is enjoying the edge without anybody challenging him. The petitioner called the Obi to call his Iyase to order.

“It should also be of great concern to his Majesty that Chief Afuwah is arming and teaching the youths the use of force where the law, order, custom and tradition should prevail. Land hustling and sales cannot go on forever when there is no more land to seize and sell. What happened to the guns and the youths whose psyche the Iyase has militarized? The outcome is not difficult to predict-armed robbery, kidnapping, hired assassination and other variants of violence”. Ejiofor remarked.

“Iyase grabs the land, sells it off without creating alternative industries and other creative ventures to absorb the army of youths he has armed and farmers he has sold off their land. This is a serious issue that call for the attention of the authorities”. It was alleged that Chief Afuwah always procures surveyor and the bulldozer and afterwards give 20 percent of all surveyed land to the surveyor and five percent to members of his alleged goons.

“I’m sure, His Majesty has interest of his subjects at hear, therefore, would want to see his people enjoy better quality of life. With all due respect, I think the Iyase is a very dangerous person. Any man who doesn’t give deep thought, to the socio-cultural consequences of his actions is a clothed danger to any community, Ejiofor quipped.

“Permit me, His Royal Majesty to request that you investigate this matter and reprimand Chief Collins Afuwah, the Iyase of Ogwashi Ukwu Kingdom”.

Chief Lawrence Esedume, Ome Ihesuani of Ogwashi Ukwu and Diokpa of Agidiase also of Ogwashi Ukwu while confirming the killing said the two young boys were killed in the bush and that their lifeless bodies were discovered the next morning after a search. He stated that they are afraid to go to their farmlands again because of the activities of the alleged gangsters that are terrorizing the communities.

Professor and traditional ruler in Agidiahe Quarters, HH Nwajei Chuks Nwajei, Agumba and Akaji Obi of Ogwashi-Ukwu while reacting on the murder case told Daily Newswatch that the community is under siege.  “From 17th century, we have been having Iyase and land matter where never a problem. We were communal and one man came parading himself as Iyase and virtually sold all the land including Agidiase land. Now he has left Agidiase land and has encroached into Agidiahe land. He has more than 14 cases of land matter involving encroachment on people’s land and selling and re-selling of land”, Nwajei stated.

“He is buying cars and hasn’t awarded scholarship to any person. He recruited 15 years old children, give guns, matchetes and buy okada for them to go and lay siege in the people’s bush and selling lands. The Ogwashi Ukwu Development Union (ODU) has been saying leave Ogwashi ukwu land alone but Collins Afuwah has not listened to anybody”,

He was here in Lagos State and was selling second handed televisions and other items, now he has relocated to Ogwashi ukwu and constituting criminality in the town, selling peoples’ land and reselling people’s land. But selling land is not the issue, trying to criminalise our children is the problem and what we asking the police to investigate was to look into the arms he was using to equip small children”.

According to Nwajei, their problem is that one man is selling the land without the community being aware of the whole land sold.

“Our anger is one; that any land sold can never be recovered ever again. And when you sell one plot of land, you have enslaved over 1000 persons not to have any land of their own. And the way they are doing it, in the next three to four years, Ogwashi Ukwu indigenes won’t have place even to farm not to talk about living”.

“This is because; the people buying the lands are coming from across the River-Niger. Building factories and not employing Ogwashi Ukwu indigenes, so there are no developments whatsoever in my community. The lands are sold by one man, Chief Collins Afuwah”.

  

Quarantined Ebola suspects: the need for awareness against stigmatization

Emeka Ibemere

Obviously, it wasn’t going to be easy for the freed and uninfected Ebola virus victims who were recently discharged after completing their quarantine class and were discovered after the 21 days incubation period, that the deadly disease failed to show on their bodies, were left to rejoin their communities, families and colleagues in their working places.

After more than 40 days without EVD, rearing its ugly heads on the bodies of suspected Nigerians, quizzed in the course of trying to prevent the spread of the virus in the country, health authorities in Nigeria discharged the suspected infected people, who apparently had contacts with the primary and secondary indexes of the Ebola disease.

Though, they have asked to go, the after matter of their quarantine experience may begin to hunt them should government and authorities sealed their lips in what may follow after they were discharged.

Why should it be so? – Stigmatization!

For now Nigerians seem to have had their own global stigmatization which has forced the President to call on world leaders to rise against it.

President Goodluck Jonathan knowing the dangers of stigmatising the discharged suspected patients, earlier condemned the stigmatization of Nigerians by some countries and by Nigerians over recent cases of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Jonathan spoke at a meeting with Mr. David Navarro, a Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General.

According to Abati, the president particularly flayed the discriminatory actions such as that which forced Nigeria’s team to the Youth Olympics in China to abandon its participation.

The presidential spokesman quoted Mr. Jonathan as noting that there was no justification for such stigmatization of Nigerians since the Ebola Virus Disease had been effectively contained in the country and never attained epidemic levels.

He said the president called for a stop to the discriminatory actions against Nigerians over the virus and urged the UN Secretary General, Mr.  Ban Ki Moon, to support the call.

Abati said Jonathan, while responding to the Secretary General’s commendation of Nigeria’s management of the threat of Ebola, praised the Federal Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government and all Nigerians for the success achieved so far in containing the virus and avoiding a national epidemic.

“All hands have been on deck to contain the virus here. I commend my team and the Lagos State Government. We have been able to set politics aside and work in unison to deal with a national threat. All other Nigerians have played a part too by complying with the directives and advice we have issued to stop the virus from spreading any further. The success we have had is a testimony to what we can achieve as people if we set aside our differences and work together”, Jonathan was quoted to have said.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and we will also support other affected African countries as much as we can because we cannot be completely safe from the virus as long as it continues to ravage some countries in our sub-region and continent. We will continue to work with the international community to curb the outbreak in other countries”, Jonathan was said to have pledged.

As that wasn’t enough, in Liberia, a doctor named Melvin Korkor, who contracted Ebola virus while attending to patients in his country, but eventually recovered from it after being treated revealed that he still faces stigmatisation.

Korkor narrated his ordeal to FrontPage Africa, and said he was only greeted from a distance upon arrival at Cuttington University campus, a private university in Suacoco, Liberia, where he teaches. He said his students were scared that he might still have the deadly virus, a situation that made people to be afraid to touch him.

One of the students, whose name was not given, was quoted to have said: “We want to hug our doctor, but fear we would come in contact with the virus, I will greet him from a distance. I am happy doctor Korkor has returned, but I am totally not convinced he is Ebola-free. I will shake his hands after 21 days.”

Again few days ago, the World Health Organization, WHO, recently shared a video of three survivors who revealed that, they were issued certificates by their doctors to prove they are no longer contagious because of the stigma they were undergoing in their various communities.

One the survivor was said to have reacted to the stigmatization he was facing and said: “When I got sick, my family doubted my recovery. Thank God for the doctors. They gave me a certificate that indicates I am free of Ebola in case anyone would still doubt.”

However, it is an irony that the American doctors who contracted the deadly virus were treated as heroes in America but down here, their African survivors are faced with stigma and disdain in their own communities.

Information Minister, Labaran Maku also took time to explain that Ebola patients who had been declared free of the virus and discharged cannot spread the disease. Maku while trying to stem the stigmatisation of patients who have survived the disease said.

“They may be healthier than some people; they are more certain that they are free.  They are the safest.  If you want anybody to come to your house, these people are the safest”.

At a briefing in Lagos, the Lagos State, Commissioner of Health, Idris advised residents of Lagos not to panic, stating that getting infected with Ebola was not an automatic death sentence.

“This has been buttressed by the recovery of seven confirmed suspects, who have been re-integrated successfully with their families and communities. The common trend among the recovered cases is their early presentation for supportive treatment.

“There is no need to hide friends and relations we suspect have come down with the disease. The earlier they are brought for screening and surveillance, the better the outcome,” he said.

On the contacts traced so far, the commissioner said the contact-tracing team had screened and tracked a total of 321 contacts in the state alone. He, however, said an additional 10 contacts “were listed on Monday, raising it to 331. Of the number, 159 have been cleared and discharged on completion of the 21-day surveillance”.

He disclosed that there “are 13 confirmed and one suspected case. The suspected case is awaiting the test result to inform the next line of action”. He added that the virus had claimed five patients in total, acknowledging that three of the Ebola victims were cremated and two others buried normally after their bodies were decontaminated in line with international best practices.

Currently, the commissioner said there “are two cases in the isolation ward. Of the two cases, one is confirmed while the other is suspected. Both of them are at the isolation facilities in Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba”.

He explained the process by which confirmed, probable and suspected cases are discharged. “The process is in line with global best practices, involving reviews by critical members of the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre,” he explained. Like Chukwu, he urged Lagos residents not to stigmatise victims and contacts, which he said had been given a clean bill of health.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said Nigeria has only one active case of the infectious Ebola virus, remaining in the quarantine centre in Lagos State, before Ebola landed in Rivers State last week.

Giving an update on government’s effort to contain the disease during a press-conference in Abuja, Chukwu said: “Today is the 37th day since the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was imported into Nigeria by a Liberian-American. As of today Nigeria has had 13 cases of EVD, including the index case. “However, seven of the infected persons were successfully managed at the isolation ward in Lagos and have been discharged.

“Two of the treated patients, a male doctor and a female nurse, were discharged (Monday) evening, having satisfied the criteria for discharge. “As I speak with you, Nigeria has only one confirmed case of EVD, a secondary contact of Mr Patrick Sawyer's and spouse of one of the physicians who participated in the management of the index case. She is stable but still undergoing treatment at the isolation ward in Lagos.”

He explained that so far, all the reported cases of Ebola in Nigeria had their roots in the index case, the late Sawyer, adding: “This is an indication that thus far, Nigeria has contained the disease outbreak.”

The minister, however, refused to be drawn into a hasty conclusion that the virus had been completely eradicated in Nigeria, maintaining that it had been contained but not yet eradicated.

“We cannot say we have eradicated the Ebola virus” Chukwu explained, “We can say we have contained it; every case so far have been traced to one source. Secondly, we have kept the disease in one location in Lagos.”

Continuing, Chukwu said: “Excellence is a journey, it is not a destination, as every country of the world remains at risk; every citizen of the world remains at risk.”

Chairman of the Oshodi and Isolo Local government Area of the Nigerian Red Cross, Pastor Celestine Nwosu, cautioned the government not to fold hands allow the discharged quarantined people to suffer psychological and emotional trauma because of stigmatization. He challenged the Federal Government and the Lagos State to legislate a law banning stigmatisation of the quarantined and discharged Ebola ‘patients’ in the country.

According to him, such would make people with the virus to be able to summon courage to go for quarantine class rather than hiding and in the process distribute the disease to others after knowing that people would be running away from them.

Deacon Chinedu Onyeanuforo, described stigmatization as worse than Ebola itself when considered what the stigmatized person would go through. He condemned the act and called on Nigerians to try and reintegrate such people back to their fold hence they have been certified Ebola free.

A sociologists and a businessman, Agboalu Christopher, quipped that Federal government should start serious campaign against stigmatization of ‘ex-Ebola patients’.

Speaking to our correspondent, he said such could help so that their communities and their places of work wouldn’t start discriminating against them. He cited the cases of HIV and Aides who were denied employment and others sacked from their places of work because of their HIV statues and cautioned that such shouldn’t be allowed to happened to alleged quarantined and discharged ‘Ebola suspects’   

It is expected that the Federal government should embark on sensitization and conscientisation awareness programme that would bring the discharged quarantined and discharged Ebola patients together with their communities and enviroment to avoid brutal discrimination that may follow them.

“What they need is an assurance that they are welcomed back into the community. What they need is reintegration and absorption by their people, governments, employers of labour, teachers, students, churches, and mosques and even their clients and customers”, Mrs Christiana Duru stated. “The onus is on the government to let Nigerians know that these people are healthy and Ebola

EFCC Arrests Three Suspected Fraudsters for Attempted Hacking

EFCC Press Release

 

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a syndicate of scammers for attempting to defraud Enterprise Bank Plc. Ola Lawal, Olumide Kayode and Abass Adekunle were arrested following a botched attempt to compromise the bank’s system and steal depositors’ funds using an electronic device known as Keelog Key Grabber.

The trio’s arrest was made possible by an insider who revealed to the bank’s management that some fraudsters were planning to gain access to its network, using a device called Keelog Key Grabber.

Investigations showed that, a staff of the bank, was contacted by one of the suspected fraudsters, who proposed a business arrangement to him on how to hack into the system of the bank. The staff subsequently informed  the management of the bank and he was instructed to play along with the fraudster.

In the arrangement, an electronic device called keelog Key Grabber would be used to harvest passwords of some of the key operation staff of the bank. The grabber was meant to be plugged into the computer system of the Head of Operation of a particular branch, to retrieve information technology configuration settings from the computer system and pave the way for the fraudsters to move customers’ funds out of the bank.

 

 Lawal was arrested while trying to hand over the Keelog Key Grabber to the staff. His arrest led to the arrest of two other suspects: Olumide Kayode Maborukoje and Abass Ajibade.  Items recovered from them include: a keylogger, a laptop, a router, a modem, sim cards, USB keyhole log with a template of keylogger and a jotter containing some account numbers which they intended to  use for the fraud.

 The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

^{1st September}, 2014

 

EFCC Arrests Three Suspected Fraudsters for Attempted Hacking

EFCC Press Release

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested a syndicate of scammers for attempting to defraud Enterprise Bank Plc. Ola Lawal, Olumide Kayode and Abass Adekunle were arrested following a botched attempt to compromise the bank’s system and steal depositors’ funds using an electronic device known as Keelog Key Grabber.

The trio’s arrest way made possible by an insider who revealed to the bank’s management that some fraudsters were planning to gain access to its network, using a device called Keelog Key Grabber.

Investigations showed that, a staff of the bank, Owolabi Agboola was contacted by one of the suspected fraudsters, who proposed a business arrangement to him on how to hack into the system of the bank. Agboola subsequently informed management of the bank and he was instructed to play along with the fraudster.

In the arrangement, an electronic device called keelog Key Grabber would be used to harvest passwords of some of the key operation staff of the bank. The grabber was meant to be plugged into the computer system of the Head of Operation of a particular branch, to retrieve information technology configuration settings from the computer system and pave the way for the fraudsters to move customers’ funds out of the bank.

 

 Lawal was arrested while trying to hand over the Keelog Key Grabber to Agboola. His arrest led to the arrest of two other suspects: Olumide Kayode Maborukoje and Abass Ajibade.  Items recovered from them include: a keylogger, a laptop, a router, a modem, sim cards, USB keyhole log with a template of keylogger and a jotter containing some account numbers which they intended to  use for the fraud.

 The suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

31^st August, 2014

The burning bush ....As NDLEA destroy N20billion cannabis forest in Ondo State

by

 Hamza Umar,MMIA Commander

Emeka Ibemere

It looks lonely and thick from outside but inside it are greenish and flourishing plants. In Ondo State, it’s likened to ‘Sambisa Forest’; very bushy, vast and stretched for over 50 kilometres.

Nobody goes there, except those who have illicit dealing with cannabis. Welcome to 244 hectares of cannabis plantation at Epele Forest Reserve, Ondo State.

Prior to its fall, Monday, August 25, 2014, it was a no-go-area and those who venture to enter it, paid for it. And for years they operated like fiefdom, the estate or domain of a feudal drug lords. It was something over which the drug cartel in Ondo State dominated and controlled.

The fiefdom, 244 hectares of cannabis plantation at Epele Forest Reserve, had barriers that make its entry a difficult one to anyone who doesn't know better.

But on that day, when it fall to the fire power might of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, its barrier couldn’t withstand the heat of the agency and within a match scratch, it went into flames, destroying over N20billion value plantation.

That was how NDLEA took over the 50 hectares of cannabis plantation at Epele Forest Reserve. It took 70 NDLEA officers drawn from South West State Commands as well as 50 labourers to bring to an end the destruction of the illicit forest reserve. The event was a product of a special operation involving over 120 operatives.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade described cannabis cultivation as a threat to national security. Giade made the observation during the destruction of the plantation.

He vowed to prosecute forest guards who turn a blind eye to criminal activities and anyone who connive with cannabis cultivators.  “The NDLEA will not hesitate to prosecute any forest guard who aids and abets cannabis cultivators. Cannabis constitutes a serious threat to security and the NDLEA is determined to eradicate narcotic drugs”, Giade stated.

“Cannabis use can induce rape, unprotected sex, political violence, murder, militancy and many more. This is the second cannabis farm destruction within the past one month and this shall be a continuous exercise until cannabis cultivation is completely eradicated. The first one was 184 hectares while this one is 50 hectares. We are looking forward with optimism to a time when farmers will abandon cannabis for only food and cash crops”.

The NDLEA director of Operations and Investigation, Mr. Olugbenga Mabo led the operation which was attended by the Ondo State Commander, Mr. Walter Nicholas, Assistant Director, Operations, Mr. Fred Ezeora, Ondo State Assistant Commander Operations, Mr. Femi Agboalu and other principal officers.

Mabo said that cannabis farm destruction was a proactive strategy to cut off cannabis supply which affects the image of the country.

 “We achieve more when we destroy cannabis farms than waiting to intercept the drug after it had been harvested by the cultivators. When citizens get caught for trafficking in cannabis outside the country, the image of Nigeria is affected. Let me commend the officers that participated in this assignment because, they walked for over four hours and worked in the rain all night long”, the director he added.

“They crossed over many rivers and surmounted several obstacles to get the job done. Drug control is a hazardous job but we are working very hard to overcome our logistic challenges such as inadequate vehicles and funds”

The destruction of the plantation wasn’t a tea party for the officials of NDLEA and combined team of army and police that assisted in the operation because typical cannabis farm operation requires strong will and intelligence. Officers walk for several hours in a lonely forest path to locate the farms.

“The road is muddy and slippery. As a result, falling down and getting up again was a normal experience all through the journey. All the officers who left the Akure Command Office wearing a clean look later came back dirty and tired”, Mitchell Ofoyeju, told Daily Newswatch.

“One of the suspects whose farm was among those destroyed, Charles Osanebi, told NDLEA investigators that he would have harvested 40 bags of cannabis from his farm”.

According to him, “this is my first time of cultivating cannabis in this forest. I was introduced into cannabis cultivation because I needed money. My farm which was destroyed would have given me a minimum of 40 bags of cannabis, monthly. Nobody can go into the forest to cultivate cannabis without paying money. We usually settle the forest guards. However, I pray for forgiveness because I have learnt my lessons.”

Meanwhile, Nigeria is expected to get a new National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) in September 2014, when President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan endorses the final draft which would soon be sent to the presidency.

Daily Newswatch gathered that the implementation of the proposed Master Plan was expected to take effect from 2015 to 2019.

According to NDLEA managers, this policy document would provide a road map for the nation’s anti-narcotic campaign and is expected to be a product with elaborate deliberations and consultations by an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), departments, agencies and experts, which was to be anchored by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Giade while applauding members of the committee for their diligence called for more support for drug control programmes.

 “I am pleased with the commitment of the committee members and the rich content of the draft plan. The Agency shall work with relevant organisations towards the full implementation of the Plan. We incorporated ministries, organisations and agencies because everyone has a role to play in the control of drugs”.

Giade thanked the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union (EU) for their technical assistance to Nigeria’s fight against drug production, trafficking and consumption as well as related organized crimes.

NDLEA Director General, Mrs. Roli Bode-George presided over the meeting of senior representatives from thirty ministries, departments and agencies that ended last weekend in Lagos. The major task before the meeting was the formulation of a Master Plan that would run for the next four years beginning in 2015.

The master plan would among other things provide a roadmap for the government of Nigeria and its ministries, departments and agencies to enhance the response to the drug situation in Nigeria.

“It seeks a balanced approach to improve the response to the supply or production of illicit drugs and efforts to reduce the demand for drugs”, Ofoyeju added.

According to Mrs. Bode-George, “there is need for an evidence-based approach to the development of the Master Plan. Each ministry, department and agency must be deeply committed to the implementation of the plan by incorporating it into their respective operational plans. This will provide a wider platform for stakeholders to collectively address the complex drug problem”.

Two international experts, Dr. Ugi Zvekic and Professor Moruf Adelekan were also engaged by the UNODC in the drafting of the new plan. The meeting was one of the eight stages designed to develop a comprehensive drug control master plan for the country. This was sequel to a bottom-up consultative engagement with stakeholders carried out and accomplished in the form of 11 town hall- style- meetings across Nigeria, which encompasses the six geo-political zones during the period of April and June 2014.

The master plan was designed around four strategic pillars and themes, namely: law enforcement responses; drug demand reduction; access and control of licit narcotics and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes; and coordination, implementation, along with monitoring and evaluation.

The meeting produced a draft plan which would be submitted to the Federal Government of Nigeria for endorsement in September 2014. Coordination and implementation of the plan was a key focus of the meeting, with the IMC resolving to establish an NDLEA-led National Coordinating Unit to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the master plan. The development of the plan was an integral part of the European Union funded and UNODC implemented project, tagged, “Response to Drugs and Related Organized Crime in Nigeria”.