CRIME
Musiliu Smith: On The Mission to Reform The Police Force
By Hon. Chinwe Ugwu
For almost a decade, Nigeria has been battling with insecurity occasioned by the terrorist activities of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram.
But as the government’s war against Boko Haram seems to be recording positive results, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other crimes have also intensified. The police have a central role to play in restoring the nation’s internal security and has so far been overstretched by the high level of insecurity.Against this background, the appointment of former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Adeola Kunbi Smith by President Muhammadu Buhari as the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) could not have come at a better time than now.
For a police force that is seriously under staffed and has been grossly underfunded over the decades, the choice of Smith by the present administration was a well thought out decision. Nigeria with a population of close to 200 million has less than 400,000 police men and women. In other words, Nigeria is highly under policed because it has fallen far short of the United Nation’s universal requirement for appropriately policing a state.In fact, the Nigeria Police service is among the least remunerated sectors in the country in spite of the high risk associated with the job. Although, the police service is also the most criticized and disparaged public institution in the country, many people do not care to find out the reasons responsible for this. There is virtually no motivation and for many decades men and officers of the force have been made to work under very inhuman conditions unlike other services such as the military, customs, immigration, prisons and even the National Security and Civil Defence Corps. An average Nigerian policeman of officer has no accommodation. There is virtually on existent barracks in the police force. What they have can best be described as shanty barracks, devoid of comforts and decency. According to Dr, Cyprian Alozie of the Department of Political Science, Abia State University, Uturu in his “critical assessment of the Nigeria Police and national security in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic”, the Police barracks “are filthy, over-crowded and dilapidated, needing repairs that will not readily come. Even with these, they are grossly inadequate… sights of policemen and their families particularly in Lagos making their homes of broken down vehicles within the barracks under the flyover bridge that runs along the Force Headquarters premises are very pathetic. Their children are raised in ordeal, very harsh upbringing that could make them gutless adults than responsible leaders in future…”There is no doubt that the problem of corruption in the Nigeria police has attracted the attention of some sections of the international community. For instance, a report released by the United States government in January 2012 noted that corruption and lack of capacity hinder the ability of the Nigeria Police Force to respond to security and terrorist threats within the nation’s borders. Similarly, Human Rights Watch report of 2011 clearly observed thus in the Nigeria Police Force: As in previous years, the undisciplined Nigeria Police Force was implicated in frequent human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and extortion related abuses. The police routinely solicit bribes from victims to investigate crimes and from suspects to drop investigations. Embezzlement of police funds is rife among senior police officials who also often demand monetary “returns” from money.But Smith comes in as a “Daniel comes to Judgement”. He is the rightful person that can facilitate the much needed reform in the Nigeria Police Force. For a man who had a meritorious and most successful career, he has what it takes to transform the police from a disgruntled and beleaguered service to a motivated, functional and incorruptible institution. As the first Inspector General of Police that led the force at the return of democracy in 1999, he has the credentials to chart a course for a modern and civilized force. He possesses the required qualities to change the negative image of the police.Since his assumption of duty over a year ago, Alhaji Smith has initiated several policies aimed at reforming the police. One of such is the ban placed on promotion of officers without examination. The Police Service Commission (PSC) under Smith declared last year that henceforth police officers will no longer be promoted to the next rank without the requisite training programmes and examinations. “From now and henceforth, one of the conditions for promotion must be attendance and passing the senior Command Course for senior officers and other prescribed courses for others” Smith had noticed that the force before now had promoted officers severally without attending the requisite training programmes attached to the ranks. “Henceforth, result of performance of officers from appropriate training courses must be attached to the recommendation to the commission for promotion”.According to the head of media at the Police Service Commission, Mr. Ani, Smith, had frowned at irregular postings of officers, said that officers should be allowed to stay at a new post for two to three years. He expressed displeasure on the long stay of officers posted to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) and called that the practice be stopped. He advised that every police officer should be a licensed driver so that during operations, in case of the sudden incapacitation of the team’s driver, someone else would take over. He warned against the indiscriminate conversion of Police specialists to general duty without due consideration to their valuable role in the force. Born to the famous Smith family of Offin/Alakoro in central Lagos on April 17, 1946, his father, the late Alhaji Liasu Akande Smith (MON), was the first Surveyor General of Lagos State and a former National President of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria while the mother was the late Alhaja Abadat Eniola Smith, also a staunch member of the society in her lifetime. Alhaji Smith had his earliest educational pursuit at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School Alakoro, Lagos between 1952 – 1959 and later attended Ansar-ud-deen College, Isolo, Lagos from 1960- 1964. He proceeded to the University of Lagos in 1967 and graduated with an Honours degree in Sociology in 1970, as a member of the first set of Sociology graduates of the University. His first working experience after his secondary education was at the then Lagos City Council as an Account Clerk between 1965 and 1967. He successfully read for his GCE Advanced Level papers during the period and got promoted to the rank of Account Clerk Grade II.On his graduation in June 1970 from University of Lagos, he was employed by Lagos State Government as an Assistant Secretary where he worked till when he started his Police Career on 1st April, 1971 as a member of the Police Cadet ASP Course 2 which ran from April 1971 to May 1972 and upon graduation, was posted to Enugu where he functioned as Assistant Superintendent (Administration) for then Enugu Province. His further police training took him to Durham Constabulary Department, England and Police Staff College, Jos. In both institutions, Mr. Smith gave a good account of himself.Between 1973 and 1978, he was an instructor at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, from where he was posted to the then Gongola State and deployed as Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Mubi, now in Adamawa State. Thus started a glowing career, which culminated in his appointment as Commandant, Police College, Orji River, in 1987. In 1989, Alhaji Musiliu Smith was promoted to the elitist rank of Commissioner of Police.As commissioner, Alhaji Smith held sway in several Commands including: Criminal Intelligence Bureau, Force CID; Kwara State Command, and Plateau State Command. He went for further training at the National War College (1994-1995) and on graduation proceeded to complete a master’s programme in strategic studies at the University of Ibadan.In early 1996, Mr. Smith was promoted Assistant Inspector-General and posted to Command Zone 1 with Headquarters in Kano. It was while he was there that he was appointed a member of the Provisional Ruling Council in September 1998. On May 29, 1999, ‘MS’ as he was fondly called by close friends, was appointed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP). He retired from active service of the Nigerian police force as IGP on March 6, 2002.Smith is a proud recipient of the National Award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). He was the last but one National President of the Ansar-Ud-Deen College Old Boys’ Association. A distinguished honouree of UNILAG Alumni Achievers Award, Alhaji M.A.K. Smith was also the Pioneer Chairman, Skye Bank Plc from January 2006 to 30th September 2010. In addition, he also served on the Board of many other companies as either as Chairman or Director. Between August 2007 and December 2008 he served the nation as one of the eminent Nigerians on the Electoral Reform Committee. For his contribution to his community, State, Nation and humanity at large, Alhaji Smith was honoured with the degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc) Honoris Causa of the Lagos State University Eight years ago and also of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin three years ago.He is happily married to Alhaja Ariat Aderoju Smith and the union is blessed with children.…Hon. Chinwe Ugwu, is Executive Director, CREI and writes from Enugu
From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command confirms two separate gruesome murder incidents that occurred on 15th May 2026 in different communities within Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area.
The incidents involved the alleged murder of a mother by her son, and the alleged murder of a woman and her child by the woman’s brother.In a statement sent by the Police public relations officer Enugu State command headquarters Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed that in the first incident, Police Operatives attached to the Igbo-Etiti Division, at about 3:10 p.
m., responded to a report alleging that one Anikwe Onyebuchi (male, aged about 40) used a cutlass to behead and murder his 60-year-old mother, Anikwe Felicia, at Nkporogwu Ukehe Community.The corpse and severed head of the deceased were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed her dead, after which the remains were deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy. The suspect was subsequently rescued and rearrested from an angry mob that had severely beaten him and was taken to hospital for medical treatment. Full-scale investigation into the incident has commenced.
In a separate incident reported the same day at about 3:18 p.m., operatives of the Command’s Distress Response Squad stationed at Ekwegbe Junction along the Ugwuagu/Opi/Nsukka Road responded to a distress call alleging that one Joshua Eze (male) similarly used a cutlass to severe the heads of his sister, Nwabuche Eze, and her little daughter, Favour Eze, at Agu-Ekwegbe Community in the same Igbo-Etiti LGA.
The remains of the deceased victims were recovered and taken to the hospital, where doctors confirmed them dead, after which the corpses were deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The suspect was also rescued from an angry mob in a critical condition and taken to the hospital, where doctors later confirmed him dead. His corpse was equally deposited in the mortuary. Preliminary investigations further revealed that after allegedly murdering the victims, he buried their remains in a shallow grave alongside a dead white cock, suggesting possible ritual intentions.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has condemned the barbaric acts, ordering the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State CID to immediately commence comprehensive investigations to ascertain the circumstances surrounding both incidents and ensure necessary investigative actions. He urges members of the public to refrain from taking laws into their hands by resorting to jungle justice, regardless of the provocation, and instead promptly report criminal suspects to the Police or other lawful authorities for appropriate action.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted illicit substances – methamphetamine and opioids- at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
A statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said that the drugs were bound for countries in Europe.
He said that the illicit substances were concealed in walls of carton, winter jackets and body cream containers, with two of the consignments bound for Italy.
Babafemi said that the desperate attempt by members of the Drug Trafficking Organisations (DTOs) to move the consignments were foiled on Friday, March 20, while two suspects were arrested.
“One of them, a 37-year-old, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airline flight.
“The suspect was with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg, concealed in containers of skin light body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, the suspect, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros, if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy,” Babafemi said.
In another drug bust, the NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on Wednesday, March 18, intercepted a passenger, who was attempting to board a Lufthansa Airline flight to Milan, Italy.
Babafemi said that upon a thorough search of his luggage, no fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets were recovered from him.
According to him, the total number of opioids was 28,470 pills.
“The 38-year-old suspect is also a resident of Milan,” he said.
Meanwhile, at a courier firm in Lagos, NDLEA officials on Monday, March 16, also intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped to Lagos from the U.S.
Babafemi further said that operatives of NDLEA thwarted an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton bound for New Zealand.
Similarly, he stated that not less than 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a store at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos, when operatives of the agency raided the area on Wednesday, March 18.
Babafemi said that two suspects were also arrested the same day on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, conveying 8,380 bottles of the same substance.
He also said operatives of the NDLEA, also on Wednesday, March 18 in Kano, arrested a suspect with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect was nabbed same day at Naibawa Gabas, with 95.5kg of same psychoactive substance.
Babafemi also said not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered by the NDLEA operatives from a suspect on the Kaduna-Zaria highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17.
He said that 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were also seized from another suspect at the same location on Friday, March 20.
“Acting on credible intelligence, the NDLEA operatives in Taraba on Tuesday, March 17, intercepted a suspect along Takum-Jalingo highway, while conveying 77,660 capsules of tramadol to Gombe.
“Similarly, in Adamawa state, no fewer than six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg tramadol in a truck in Yola, on Tuesday, March 17.
“Suspects who are joint owners of the consignment were all arrested in swift follow-up operations,”he said.
Speaking further, Babafemi said the agency’s operatives in Abuja on Wednesday, March 18, intercepted a commercial bus, on the Gwagwalada expressway in the FCT.
“A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 91,840 pills of tramadol, hidden in its body compartments.
“The bus driver was promptly taken into custody,” he said.
In the same vein, on Monday, March 16, 97.5kg of skunk was recovered from the home of a suspect in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area (LGA) in Edo, the NDLEA spokesperson said.
Babafemi also said that a suspect was apprehended on Tuesday, March 17, at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic, via the Oyan River.
He said that commands and formations of the agency across the country have continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Girls High School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; New State High School, Mushin, Lagos and Cornerstone Secondary School, Sankwala, in Cross River.
Others are Community Secondary School, Ngwo-Uno, Udi, Enugu and St. John’s Academy, Ipokia LGA, Ogun state, among others.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa Commands, for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
By Elijah Oguche
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has said the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested no fewer than 77,792 drug offenders and seized about 14,847 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs in the last five years.
Marwa disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the NDLEA Commands, Awards and Commendations Ceremony, where outstanding commands and personnel of the agency were honoured for their performance over the past year.
According to him, the seizures significantly disrupted local and transnational drug trafficking networks, sending a clear message that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for illicit drug enterprises.
He said the agency also arrested 128 identified drug barons who played central roles in major trafficking operations across the country, noting that the successes were the result of deliberate reforms aimed at repositioning the NDLEA for effective service delivery.
Marwa explained that over the period under review, the agency secured 14,225 convictions, strengthening deterrence and reinforcing the consequences of drug-related crimes.
He said, “It is therefore heartwarming to note that in the last five years, we recorded significant operational successes, including the arrest of 77,792 drug offenders, including 128 identified drug barons who were central to major trafficking networks.
“We seized a total of 14,847,000 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, thereby significantly disrupting both local and transnational supply chains.
“In further strengthening the criminal justice response to drug offences, the agency successfully prosecuted and secured convictions against 14,225 offenders, reinforcing deterrence and affirming that drug crime attracts consequences.”
Beyond enforcement, he said the NDLEA intensified efforts at drug demand reduction, revealing that 32,442 drug users benefited from counselling, treatment and rehabilitation programmes nationwide.
He added that the agency conducted 13,735 sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse campaign across schools, markets, motor parks, workplaces, worship centres and communities to curb substance abuse and promote preventive awareness.
Marwa attributed the achievements to improved intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, capacity building and enhanced welfare for officers and men of the agency, as well as sustained motivation through internal reward mechanisms.
He also thanked President Bola Tinubu for extending his tenure for another five years, describing the decision as a call for greater commitment in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
The NDLEA boss assured Nigerians that the agency would intensify its operations in the new tenure, vowing that there would be no respite for drug barons, traffickers and couriers, regardless of how long it takes to bring them to justice.
He said, “As we celebrate, we must recognise that the goldfish has no hiding place. The next phase of our operations demands even more grit and more tactical sophistication.
“We will not rest until every drug baron is behind bars, every trafficker is intercepted, every mule is caught, and every single gram of illicit drug is removed from our streets.
“There is no room for complacency. We must remain proactive, intelligence-led, and ruthless in our pursuit of those who seek to destroy our youth and national security. Let me be clear, the objective of this agency remains the total disruption of drug trafficking and the protection of our communities.
“The expectation is sustained pressure until every drug baron, trafficker, courier, and every gram of illicit drugs is taken out of our streets and communities.”
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting public health and national security, stressing that the ultimate objective remains the total disruption of drug trafficking and the creation of a safer, drug-free Nigeria.
Marwa was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA in 2021, after which the agency adopted intelligence-led operations, strengthened inter-agency and international collaboration, and prioritised staff welfare and accountability.
In 2025, President Bola Tinubu approved the extension of his appointment for another five-year term.
Speaking at the event, Marwa pledged to intensify the crackdown on drug trafficking networks and scale up efforts to curb drug abuse nationwide.
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