The President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has alleged that drug barons are behind the funding of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria.
Lawan made this claim when the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, paid him a visit on Thursday at his office in Abuja.
According to him, the proceeds of the illegal drug trade were being used to buy arms and ammunition for terrorist groups like Boko Haram, as well as bandits and kidnappers.
Lawan said, “I believe that this agency needs restructuring now that you’ve taken over.
“My personal opinion is that NDLEA should be in the league of EFCC, ICPC, and therefore, the kind of support that those two agencies I mentioned receive, you should receive something like that.
“So, the National Assembly will definitely work with you and will ensure that we do our best to give you the kind of support that’ll enable you properly to discharge your mandate.
“Drug peddlers pass their drugs – cannabis, heroin, and possibly even cocaine through Nigeria.
“We believe that this has to stop because the proceeds of such activities fund terrorism, they fund banditry, you wonder how the bandits have RPGs and these massive arms that they have.
“Definitely, these are some acquisitions provided by some barons, not the bandits themselves.”
