Drug War: NDLEA, DICAN Join Forces To Combat Fake News
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has pledged to work closely with the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) to tackle disinformation and fake news, which it says are increasingly being weaponised to undermine national security.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, gave the assurance in Abuja after receiving the DICAN Prestigious International Award for Bravery and Innovation in the Fight Against Illicit Drugs.
Marwa welcomed the recognition, describing it as a morale boost for officers on the frontline of Nigeria’s drug war. “The honour given to the chairman and the agency shows our work is not going unnoticed. It is a motivation to do more,” he said.
The NDLEA boss commended DICAN for convening what he called a “trailblazing” global journalists’ event on Nigeria’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Strategy, which examined the role of diplomacy, intelligence, and media in countering disinformation and advancing stability.
DICAN Chairman, Idehai Frederick, said NDLEA was selected for the award in recognition of its aggressive clampdown on transnational drug cartels and its resilience in the fight against illicit substances.
He stressed that criminal groups were increasingly using fake news and foreign information manipulation to derail such gains, making media capacity-building a critical priority.
Other notable recipients of the DICAN awards included former President Goodluck Jonathan, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and Air Peace founder Allen Onyema.
