Dockworkers Send Strong Signals to NDLEA Over Drug Trafficking At Nigerian Ports

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Dockworkers under the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) have sent a signal to the chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brigadier General Buba Marwa, saying that they are ready for collaboration in order to nip drug trafficking through Nigerian seaports in the bud.

President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju stated this recently during a chat with media men, arguing that NDLEA alone cannot succeed in the fight against drug trafficking without partnership from the union.

Recall that some dockworkers in 2021 were arrested at Apapa Port for aiding and abetting drug importation through the seaport.

Giving an update on the case, Adeyanju stated that the court case I still ongoing, adding that eight of the accused have been released on bail, while three of them were found innocent.

He however said that all the arrested persons have seized to be members of the union, even as he sounded a stern warning to dockworkers not to engage in or help cartels importing illicit drugs.

He said any dockworker caught in the act for whatever reason, would be disowned by the union.

“There are some people trafficking the drugs, but they want to use the name of innocent workers to bring it to the port.

“So, any of our members caught with illicit drugs, either by being an accomplice or by way joining the cartel that are trafficking the drugs, they would seize to be our member.

“Our wages is enough for us, even if it is not enough, we make sure that we improve on it every two years. Clean money is better than drug money, because the type of money coming out from drug peddling is ‘come easy-go easy’, and it is not in our dictionary to support anything that has to do with drugs trafficking through the port” Adeyanju stated

While sending a signal for collaboration to the Chairman of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, the MWUN PG commended him for a job well done in sanitising the nation from illicit drugs, and putting culprits behind bars.

“We are sending this signal to the CEO of NDLEA, that there is need for them to partner with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria and the dockworkers branch so that we can be on the same page, they cannot do it alone, we don’t want to have cross issues with the good work that the General (Marwa) is doing, he doing a good job and we have to appreciate him for that, but there is need for us to work hand in hand

“The dockworkers of today are reformed, they are not the dockworkers of yesteryear, there has been a lot of transformation, orientation on them, dockworkers today have condition of service, they are gainfully employed unlike before.

“The dockworkers caught at the port, the case is before the court, we learnt that eight of them have been granted bail, while three of them were released for not having anything to do with the investigation

“All of them have seized to be our member” he said