Taraba State ranks high in consumption of illicit drugs in Nigeria
Story from Ahmed USMAN, Jalingo
The Taraba State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Nanzing Daniel Sallah, has revealed that Taraba State has the largest number of illicit drugs consumers in Nigeria.
Daniel Sallah disclosed this when he received the new officials of the Taraba State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in his office in Jalingo.
Sallah said the consumers of the drugs fall between the ages of sixteen to forty-six years and consume hard drugs such as Cannabis Sativa, Codeine, tramadol, and methamphetamine (aka ICE) among others.
The NDLEA Commander remarked that this ugly trend is aided by the activities of the drug traffickers who used the state as a transit while doing their criminal business attributing the high rate of criminal activities in the state to drug abuse.
He said the Agency has not been resting on its oars in trying to address the menace saying that the Command has made several arrests as well as seized large quantities of such hard drugs in the state.
He applauded the State Government for promising to build a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in the state, pointing out that it would hugely help in rehabilitating drug abusers and providing counselling.
Sallah remarked that the media is a critical stakeholder in the fight against drugs and substance abuse in society, adding that the visit of the NUJ officials to the command was timely.
The State Commander pledged the resolve of the Agency to partner with the NUJ which will help immensely in publicising its activities to restore the lost glory of the state.
Earlier, the chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mathew Eliud Jen, said they were in his office to familiarise themselves as well as seek partnership with the NDLEA.
Jen said that Journalists can only report effectively through adequate collaboration with stakeholders from different walks of life.
He appreciated the doggedness of the Agency in trying to sanitise the state against illicit drugs and pledged the readiness of the members of the pen profession to give them adequate publicity.
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