NDLEA Partner Clearing Agents in Fight Against Drugs Importation At Tin Can Island Port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that collaboration with critical stakeholders, including the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) would assist the agency in its war against drug abuse and importation throught the seaports and land borders.

Newly appointed NDLEA Commandant for Tin Can island Command, Allumona Callys stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Tin Can Chapter Secretariat of ANLCA under the leadership of Prince Olawale Cole.

Mr Callys who visited the Licensed agents Secretariat in company of his senior management staff, was received by the ANLCA Chairman and his executive team.

Speaking on the essence of the visit, the NDLEA boss who recently assumed office on 16th of May 2025, haven been deployed from Edo State Command as Commandant, stated that ANLCA is very important to the operations of the agency, not just in the seaport, airport and borders, but in Nigeria as a whole.

“You cannot talk about importation without ANLCA members.
I am here to succeed, and I am assuring that drugs, psychotics and narcotics do not enter Nigeria through the seaports.

“The Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Buba Marwa (rtd) made the command strategic because he knows that this is the biggest ways that contraband are trafficked.

“We need your collaboration and synergy to ensure that our borders do not become so porous that the criminals would not take over.

“Perhaps, some people do not really know why the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency is going after those people importing these drugs, it goes beyond just a job, it is a humanitarian endeavour.
Drug abuse which is orchestrated by drug trafficking, has ravaged the nation, not just Nigeria but all over the world.

“In terms of economy, the sale of drugs brings in a lot of money that the government does not plan for, it enters into the streets, distorts the economic indices and inflation takes over.
People would no longer be able to afford to buy anything because somebody has destabilised the amount. So, if you look at it, everything about drugs is bad.

“Fighting drugs importation cannot be for NDLEA alone, it is a general issue, all the security agencies are assisting us including Customs, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and so on.

“We also need you in ANLCA to give us your cooperation, we are not here to fight the clearing agents, everybody is at the port to make their money, but we are only here to ensure that legit things come into the country” he said

Responding, the ANLCA Chairman, Tin Can island Chapter, Prince Olawale Cole assured the NDLEA boss that the association has an existing relationship with the agency, even as he promised to sustain it.

“ANLCA has always been a part of the system, we enjoyed a robust relationship with your predecessor. The last time we visited him, we forged a partnership and that partnership is still standing.

“I want to give you the assurance that we would always make you succeed in your tenure at the command here, and no matter how long it is, we are going to work together as one family.

“Thank you for acknowledging that our role as customs brokers is very important and vital in this society. Believe me, none of our members would support importation of narcotics or any illegality at the port for that matter, anything that would cause crisis to the youths or the society in general, we would always stand against it by giving you our full support and stopping these items from coming into our borders and seaports” Prince Cole assured.