Top NDLEA officials undergo impromptu drug test

The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, along with directors, men and officers at the national headquarters have presented themselves for drug integrity test.

The agency's Director Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, announced this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that officials were taken unaware when upon resumption, the gates to the headquarters office were shut and everyone was asked to be in groups.

He added that a team of medical doctors led by Dr Vincent Udenze, a consultant in addiction psychiatry, administered the test.

In a remark, the NDLEA boss, shortly before he took his own test, said that the impromptu test was necessary to ensure that 'charity begins at home'.

"We cannot be asking others to undergo drug test without submitting ourselves for the same.

"Coming out clean and negative gives us the moral authority to conduct the test on others.

"The essence of also taking everyone by surprise and inviting external medical personnel to conduct the test is to further strengthen the validity of the exercise."

The test results released by the medical team showed that Marwa returned negative along with the secretary to the agency, Mr Shadrack Haruna, and other directors at the national headquarters of the NDLEA.