Dozens of kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were set ablaze by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA). This is the largest to be destroyed in the 32-year history of the anti-narcotic agency.
The spokesperson of the agency Mr. Femi Babafemi; said that the breakdown of the kilograms of the illicit substances burnt includes, 7,414.519kg cocaine, 161,206kg heroin, 1,144.8kg methamphetamine, 60,144kg ephedrine, 311,416.19162kg cannabis Sativa 10,091.83kg khat, 273.223kg tramadol, 0.000170kg benylin with codeine and 8,207.7505kg of other psychotropic substances.
The drugs were seized by the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos state command; the Seme Special Area command from persons convicted and sentenced by the Federal High Court as well as abandoned seizures.
Leading other top officials of the NDLEA, other security agencies, and members of the public in destroying heaps of illicit drugs in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, the Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the exercise is a strong message to drug barons and cartels that they will continue to lose their huge investments in the criminal trade if they fail to back out and look for other legitimate businesses.
Gen. Marwa said, “It is gratifying to know that our drug law enforcement efforts are not in vain. Our efforts not only resulted in the seizure of the aforementioned drugs but also culminated in the arrest, prosecution, and conviction of the offenders in court.”
He said, Since January 2021, the agency arrested over 17,647 drug offenders of which 2,385 have been convicted in court and have seized over 3.5 million kilos of assorted drugs.
“The business of today is yet another indication that officers and men of NDLEA are not relenting in the pursuit of the Agency mandate to make Nigeria safe from the drug scourge.”
Marwa gave the assurance that NDLEA will continue to explore various ways, legal and within the ambit of drug law enforcement, to address the drug problem in the country.
“And there is no better time than now to adopt evidence-based programmes and policies to counter the destructive impact of the drug scourge, which has pervaded our society in the past few years.”
While assuring that the Agency will not only focus on drug supply reduction, Marwa said, the agency is broadening its drug demand reduction efforts, and especially working hard on drug use prevention programmes.
“Among other measures, we are reaching out to young people through prevention messages on our social media platforms. We are not oblivious of the fact that some teenagers and young adults are being exposed to drugs at a very young age, particularly in deprived circumstances.”
The NDLEA boss noted that the agency is working with other institutions to provide educational opportunities, vocational skills, training and other socio-economic support for the vulnerable group.
“In everything we do, we strive to align our efforts with international best practices. Only a few weeks ago, NDLEA launched a 24/7 toll-free call centre for people who are drug-dependent or suffering from drug use disorder, their families, employers of labour, and members of the public who need any form of help.”
He said, the centre which has a team of dedicated, well-trained professionals in mental health practices including psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists and counsellors, currently receives calls in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo languages.
Commendations
While commending the officers and men of the Agency for their commitment, Gen. Marwa praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his political will in tackling the drug menace in the country.
Olusola Akintonde
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