By Joy Odor, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has vowed to deepen collaboration with the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) in tackling disinformation, fake news, and illicit drug trafficking threatening Nigeria’s stability.
Marwa, who was conferred with the DICAN Prestigious International Award for Bravery and Innovation in the Fight Against Illicit Drugs in Abuja, described the recognition as a morale booster for the agency’s frontline officers battling drug barons and cartels across the country.
Represented by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA boss stressed that disinformation has become a dangerous tool in undermining Nigeria’s sovereignty and global security efforts.
“The honour given to the chairman and the agency shows our reforms and fight against illicit drugs are not going unnoticed. This recognition, coming from journalists covering the diplomatic community, motivates us to do even more,” Babafemi said.
He assured DICAN of NDLEA’s support in its strategic programmes, particularly in exposing Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), disinformation, and fake news, which he warned are fast becoming threats to democracy and national security.
Marwa also hailed DICAN’s pioneering role in hosting the first-ever global journalists’ conference themed “Nigeria’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Strategy Amidst Global Security Challenges, Strategic Misperceptions, and the Age of Disinformation: The Role of Diplomacy, Intelligence, and Media in Shaping National and Global Stability.”
Earlier, DICAN Chairman, Idehai Frederick, said the award to NDLEA was in recognition of Marwa’s groundbreaking reforms in dismantling transnational drug cartels and curbing the flow of illicit substances in Nigeria.
Frederick noted that while NDLEA has recorded remarkable gains, criminal elements are relentlessly evolving new strategies, including weaponising disinformation, to sabotage security efforts.
He stressed that DICAN is committed to training its members to detect and counter fake news, urging stakeholders to support capacity-building initiatives for diplomatic correspondents.
Other eminent Nigerians honoured alongside Marwa include former President Goodluck Jonathan; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Air Peace Founder, Allen Onyema; and the Egyptian Embassy, represented by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, among others.
With the NDLEA-DICAN alliance, Nigeria’s war against drugs and disinformation may be entering a decisive new phase.
