The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has appointed Commander of Narcotics (CN) Leonard Nnadim, PhD, as the 13th State Commander of the NDLEA Abia State Command. By this appointment, he takes over from CN Chigbu Chilee following his retirement from service.
A statement by ASN Ik Akunne, Public Relations Officer, NDLEA Abia State Command, states that CN Nnadim has assumed office at the Command Headquarters in Aba, where he was received by the principal officers, men and women of the command.
The statement described the new commander as a seasoned officer, an investigator and an analyst that has worked and held several command responsibilities across various states and tactical commands, including the Criminal Intelligence Task Force with the UK (CITF) and the US DEA/NDLEA Joint Task Force (JTF).
Akunne said that until his recent appointment, Nnadim served as the Assistant Director, Intelligence (Operations & Surveillance), and Head of the Tactical Intelligence Unit at the Directorate of Intelligence, NDLEA National Headquarters, Abuja.
“He has successfully led or participated in several high-profile operations and investigations that resulted in massive drug seizures and the dismantling of major drug cartels and cross-border drug trafficking networks across the globe.
“Commander Nnadim has undergone extensive local and international training in Nigeria, Ghana, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Malaysia, and other countries.
“He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Abia State University (ABSU), an M.Sc. in Criminology from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), and a PhD from the University of Ilorin.
“He is a member of several professional associations, including the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA), USA.
“He has published scholarly works in reputable journals on drug trafficking, crime, and national security.”
According to Akunne, during his maiden meeting with officers, men and women of the command, CN Nnadim reaffirmed his commitment to the agency’s mandate of combating drug trafficking, abuse, and related crimes in Abia State.
He pledged to drive this through intelligence-led operations, strengthened inter-agency collaboration, robust public enlightenment and sustained awareness campaigns.
Nnadim further reiterated his unwavering commitment to the vision of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) CON, OFR, and the core values of the Agency.
He appealed to all stakeholders – the Abia State Government, sister security agencies, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, religious bodies, and the general public – for continued support and partnership in the fight against illicit drug trafficking, abuse and related crimes.
