The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has, contrary to the widespread reports of alleged underage recruitment, denied recruiting underage officers into the agency.
NDLEA’s denial comes after pictures of teenage-looking cadet officers, who reportedly were among the 2,500 officers that passed out from the anti-narcotic agency’s recently concluded recruitment exercise, circulated on social media.
After the pictures surfaced online, it drew a backlash and condemnation against the agency online, with Nigerians accusing them of recruiting teenagers.
But reacting to the report, NDLEA said such claims by Nigerians would amount to “body-shaming.”
This was contained in a post on the NDLEA official X page titled ‘Newly trained NDLEA personnel on viral photo not underage.’
The post reads: “The newly trained personnel of the agency whose photo appears above (arrowed) is not underage as being insinuated since this picture taken during the passing out parade of 2,500 Narcotic Agents and Narcotic Assistants on Thursday, October 19, 2023, got to the social media space.
“The personnel may have a small body frame but is indeed qualified in terms of academic and age qualifications required for his cadre, Narcotic Assistant II, which include a secondary school certificate and being 18 years of age.
“Uncomplimentary comments about his size may be tantamount to body shaming.”
