NDLEA Lagos Commander, ACGN Wali Swiftly Deploys Protective Gears Donated by LSSTF to Boost Officers’ Safety, Operational Readiness
By Oki O. Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
In a strong demonstration of accountability and effective resource utilization, the
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command has formally decorated its officers with the cache of brand new protective gears that was donated by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) under the leadership of the Executive Secretary/CEO, Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, making the NDLEA one of the first security agencies in Lagos to visibly operationalize equipment recently received from the LSSTF. During the presentation event and simulation exercise that followed, the NDLEA took immediate operational advantage of the recently donated protective equipment as it deployed officers outfitted with new bulletproof vests and ballistic helmets during enforcement activities aimed at combating drug trafficking and related crimes across the state.
The ceremony took place at the NDLEA Festac Area Command yesterday Saturday 20th June, where the Commander of the Lagos State Strategic Command, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, ACGN Abubakar Liman Wali, personally decorated officers with the protective equipment donated by the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund. The event was followed by a simulation exercise and an operational stop-and-search deployment along the Mile 2 Expressway, where NDLEA personnel, supported by trained detective dogs, conducted vehicle searches and recovered exhibits in furtherance of the agency’s anti-narcotics mandate.
Speaking after the exercise, Wali expressed appreciation to Lagos State Executive Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, and the Executive Secretary/CEO, LSSTF, Dr. Ogunsan, for the intervention, stating that the donation is a morale booster. “This will serve as a morale booster,” Wali said. “The kind of job we do comes with risk and hazard. Now we have some element of safety. I’m very sure officers are motivated, and you saw it. They will improve on the good job we’re doing in Lagos.”
The Commander noted that narcotics enforcement operations often require personnel to enter volatile and high-risk environments where criminal elements may resist arrest or attempt to obstruct operations, while some drug traffickers and dealers operate in notorious locations across the state. He declared that the Command was now better equipped and prepared for difficult assignments. “There are some areas we had to be extra prepared to enter, sometimes seeking support from other security agencies. With this equipment, I’m assuring those areas: get prepared, we are ready for them now,” he stated.
Wali also called for additional operational support, even as the Command expects the deployment of more detective dogs from the NDLEA National HQ before the end of the year. He credited the Chairman/CEO of the NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd) for ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening officer welfare, operational efficiency, and institutional capacity nationwide.
While commending officers for their dedication, Liman Wali urged the professionalism and respect for human rights in the discharge of their duties. He directed that all protective equipment be properly documented, numbered, and subjected to strict sign-in and sign-out procedures to ensure accountability and effective asset management.
The parade was led by Superintendent of Narcotics, SP Tari Amina Alazigha, while Commander of the Canine Unit, NAHCO, CN Dickson Osamudiamen, assisted in the decoration of officers.
