Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has offered to partner with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to expose individuals and organisations using the logistics service providers to illicitly move drugs and weapons in the country.
This offer was made by Mr Ismail Adewusi, post master general (PMG), when he paid a courtesy visit to Brig. Gen Muhammad Marwa, chairman of NDLEA, in Abuja.
Ismail said the visit was a chance for NIPOST to strengthen its interagency relationships with NDLEA as they had discovered that the courier service is central to curbing drug traffickers in the country.
He said there are people who use the NIPOST facility to move illegal substances from one place to another across the country.
During the visit, Ismail noted that NIPOST was playing a supporting role to NDLEA in ensuring that the country was rid of drug trafficking and insecurity.
Addressing the problem of illegal couriers and unregistered logistics operators, the PMG said NIPOST is ready to provide the agency with a comprehensive list of legally registered operators to make the effort of curbing illegal drug peddlers successful.
“We have discovered that recently, you got into how people are using that platform to move illegal substances and we’re very happy that you have discovered that, as it is.
“But we believe that there’s even a better way that we can collaborate along those lines because every operator in that sector is licensed by us.
“We have a list of registered valid operators and we’re ready to give you that list so that when your men are out there working they can confirm if any of them are operating legally or illegally. Because that way it will complement what we were trying to do,” he said.
On his part, Marwa lauded NIPOST for extending a cooperating hand it helping rid Nigeria of illicit drug traffickers, emphasising that, “The drug scourge in Nigeria is unacceptable, not only has it affected our youths but has also spurred insecurity such as banditry, kidnapping and so on.”
He noted that NIPOST is a worthy partner in curbing the influx of drugs into the country, appealing for the need to collaborate for information sharing between agencies to nipped illegal drug use across the country.
He called for an anonymous free postal service as part of NIPOST’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS).
In response, Ismail said NIPOST has established the National Addressing System to solve the menace of fake addresses, names.
He revealed that NIPOST is using technology to drive an address verification system, indicating the NIPOST plans to integrate the solutions to all security outfits in Nigeria.
“We are also working with National Population Commission to marry every name to an address and house across the country,” he said.
