NDLEA arrests 149 suspects, seizes 1,699kg of illicit drugs in 6 months
Story from Rabi’atu, Lokoja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 149 suspects and seized 2,699kg of illicit drugs between January and June in Kogi State.
The State Commander of the Agency, Malam Abdulkadir Abdullahi-Fakai, disclosed this at a news conference in Lokoja as part of a week-long celebration of the 2022 United Nations Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking with the theme: “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crisis.”
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The commander said the suspects were both males and females, while the seized drugs included Codeine, Methamphetamine, Exol-5, Diazepam, tramadol, Cannabis sativa, and Pentazocine among others.
He noted that the command had convicted 29 accused persons and other cases are still pending at the Federal High Court, Lokoja.
Malam Abdulkadir described the drug abuse situation in Kogi as highly disturbing and called for collective efforts to tackle it, saying that as a federating unit, Kogi cannot stand alone in the face of this ominous threat of drug abuse and trafficking.
The Commander added that by implication, security, economic and general well-being is dire.
“Statistics and empirical facts from National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operations indicate clearly that the drug problem is mutating into a colossal social problem.
“It has become an issue linked beyond doubt to the escalation of insecurity and its attendant effects on peace and economy across the country,” he added.
He said that drugs remained the major catalyst of the debilitating effects of armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, rape and other violent crimes in the country.
He said that the command had engaged in various operations, advocacy and sensitisation to solicit collective action to tackle the menace of drug abuse and trafficking.
“In the area of drug abuse and preventive education, 25 schools and organisations were sensitised from January to date while 84 clients referred from investigation units were counselled within the period.
The drug war is an onerous task that cannot be left in the hands of the agency alone and gave details of other seizures made within the period including the interception of 29 pieces of military camouflage uniforms in a truck and the arrest of an escaped prisoner.
Abdulkadir called on the general public to cooperate with the NDLEA by providing useful information on the activities of drug traffickers and vendors.
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