NDLEA burns N1bn worth of over 16-tonne illicit drug exhibits in Oyo

From left: The Oyo State Commander, NDLEA, Abdullahi Saeed; Secretary to the Oyo State Government, Mrs Bamiwo Adeosun and NDLEA Secretary/Director General, Shadrach Haruna during field testing of hard drugs on Tuesday. Photo: Oluwatoyin Malik

The Oyo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday set on fire 16,799.017 kilogrammes of illicit drug exhibits, with an appeal to the general public and state residents to play active roles in the efforts to rid the society of the harmful substances.

The burnt illicit drug exhibits, worth over N1 billion in value, were those seized by the state command between 2017 and 2021.

The burning of the seized drugs was carried out on the outskirts of Ibadan city after cases related to them had been concluded, and an order for their destruction was given by the federal high court in Ibadan, according to the state commander, Abdullahi Saeed.

Tribune Online learnt that the destroyed drugs included 16,472.564 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, 0.042kg of cocaine and 326.41 kilogrammes of psychotropic substances which were seized within the state during routine operations by NDLEA operatives.

Also arrested in connection with the seized drugs were 358 suspects, with 203 of them convicted and sentenced to various prison terms after diligent prosecution.

Speaking at the public destruction of the drugs, the state NDLEA Commander, who decried the inclination of criminal elements to make quick and easy money at the expense of people’s wellbeing, said that the agency was elated at puncturing the joy of drug traffickers to smile to the bank, with their freedom put at bay for the period of imprisonment.

Saeed stated further that the state command also apprehended 153 suspects for drug offences in the state from January to date, while illicit drugs weighing 815.88 kilogrammes were seized, with 31 of the suspects already convicted.

The commander said: “With our determination and resolve to serve the state maximally in order to change the ugly drug situation, and with the spoken words and body language of the anti-drug czar, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) sufficiently showing his zero tolerance for drug trafficking and abuse in our dear nation, I will like to state without equivocation that there will be no hiding place for illicit drug dealers in the state.

“We shall, by the grace of God and with the support of the stakeholders and well-meaning citizens of Oyo State, trace them to their hideouts, root them out and make them to face the full wrath of the law.”

Expressing concerns over the figure of arrests and seizures, the state commander said that it was a huge challenge and a situation that “calls for a purposeful convergence on the drug issue, with a view to stemming it out of existence from our society.”

He enjoined a war declaration on drug trafficking and abuse, as the substances kill, destroy families, affect work, affect the nation’s economy, and aid crime and insecurity, among others.

He expressed appreciation to the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, for continuous support and assistance to the state command in terms of finance and logistics, saying that the vehicles donated to the agency had been of immense help.

The Commander also appreciated other security agencies for their partnership and collaboration even during risky operations.

In his keynote address, General Marwa, who was represented by the NDLEA Secretary, Shadrach Haruna, said that the agency was more determined and committed to making the drug business unattractive, unprofitable and dangerous to those who get involved.

Disclosing the arrest of 3,539 offenders and successful prosecution of 667 of them in the first quarter of the year, the NDLEA chairman said that it was an indication of the agency’s determination, adding that NDLEA would not relent in the efforts to clean Nigeria of illicit substances under his leadership.

In his remarks, the state governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Bamiwo Adeosun, described the burning of the drug exhibits as significant, as it was last done four years ago.

Saying that it was a menace to the society, the governor enjoined all to reflect on the need to prevent its sales, saying that this would reduce its consumption thereby rendering it unpopular.

The governor who spoke of drugs being a drain financially, emotionally, psychologically, economically and health-wise, added that it could also lead to deaths in many cases.

He assured the state command of the full support of its activities.

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