.jpeg)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA on Wednesday has said, alleged buildings sold off which was referred to in a circulating piece, by an anonymous write up going round on WhatsApp platforms which served as its National Headquarters before its relocation to Abuja some years ago doesn't belong to the agency and the agency did not sell its Lagos headquarters office buildings in Ikoyi.
NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement described claims as a total distortion of facts.
Babafemi stated that Implementation Committee (PIC) on Federal Government Landed Properties took over the buildings following a government directive that all vacated or underutilised government properties be taken over by the PIC, sold and proceeds paid to federal government coffers.
He said, at the time of relocation, 70% of the Agency’s headquarters staff moved to Abuja while the remaining 30% are still in Shaw road office, Ikoyi.
He noted that this remaining 30% will soon join the main headquarters in Abuja as soon as the new HQ building, recently bought by the federal government for the Agency is ready for occupation.
"Like other federal government agencies whose properties were taken over by the PIC, NDLEA has no hand in the sale of the mentioned properties and does not know who bought them and for how much, as the presidential committee solely handled the sale.
"The challenge before the Agency at the moment is how to remove our officers and men who live within communities where they are exposed to dangers into secure barracks accommodation, a concern already being addressed by the federal government through budgetary provisions for the construction of such barracks across the country beginning from this year", Babafemi stated.
He therefore urged the public to disregard the anonymous write up, which is nothing but an embodiment of distortion and mischief.