THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kogi State said it arrested 103 suspects with a total seizure of 1,447.594 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in 2019.
Commander of the NDLEA in Kogi State, Mr Alfred Adewumi, disclosed this while presenting highlights of the agency’s Counter-Drugs measures and activities in the state at a press conference held on Monday in Lokoja.
Adewumi said 11 hectares of cannabis sativa plantation was destroyed in Igolijo, a community on the boundary of Kogi and Enugu States adding that 18 tons of hard drugs worth millions of Naira were also destroyed in April 2019.
The Commander revealed that out of the 103 suspected drug offenders arrested and prosecuted, 14 people including two females were convicted and sentenced to various terms in prison.
Other cases, according to him, are at various levels of the trial at the Federal High Court, Lokoja, while the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the command counselled 33 drug users, treated and rehabilitated six victims.
Adewumi said that while the command was celebrating the removal of huge quantity of drugs from circulation which promoted the health and well-being of the people, drug barons were unrelenting in their deadly business.
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“I, therefore, use this opportunity to call on governments, families, religious bodies, educational institutions, the Judiciary and other stakeholders to join hands with the agency to halt the potentially worrisome increase in the number of drug victims, especially women and children,” he said.
The commander also reminded the people of the state of the existence of a functional drug rehabilitation centre in Lokoja saying that the centre was adequately equipped to deal with drug dependency concerns.
“Because we recognise that drugs drive most criminal activities, I wish to restate our resolve to continue to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the merchants of death and make our state and society safe and secure,” he added.
He noted that the Agency had keyed into the Federal Government’s declaration of State of Emergency on the drug situation saying that time had come to overcome distractions over prejudices and stigmatisation that could deprive victims needed help.
“The sustained support of the government of Kogi State to the NDLEA will surely provide the needed fillip to combat the drug menace in the state,” he added.
Adewumi commended the effective synergy existing between security agencies in the state as well as the media for the cooperation and collaboration that accounted for the success recorded by the command.
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