The Federal Executive Council, on Wednesday, approved the sum of N5.16bn for the construction of two accommodation facilities, comprising 192 flats of various room capacities, for personnel of the National Drugs Laws Enforcement Agency.
The new NDLEA barracks, which will be located in the FCT, would take 60 weeks to complete, said the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Malami revealed this to State House Correspondents after Tuesday's Council meeting chaired by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The approval comes six months after the Council okayed N580.50m for the purchase of four armoured vehicles for the NDLEA last September.
Malami said, “As you are aware, there has been renewed and sustained onslaught against drug cartels and barons over time. Within the three quarters of 2023 about 18,940 arrests were effected by the NDLEA and indeed drugs the estimated value of which is over N40bn where confiscated. Again, about 2,904 convictions were recorded.
“These successes recorded unfortunately, translated to unprecedented threats and attacks on personnel, officers, men and other ranks of the agency and then the need has arisen for the federal government to consider the possibility of taking security measures that will now provide the desired protection to the officers and men of the agency.”
