The Taraba State Command of the National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says it has seized Cannabis Sativa and psychotropic substance weighing 394.415kg from January to June 2021.
This comes as Nigeria joins the World to commemorate the 2021 International Day Against Drugs Abuse.
The State Commander of the NDLEA, Jadi Suleiman, said through the Federal High Court, the command has secured a total of eight convictions and have 135 suspects.
“The low figure of the convictions is due to the over three months industrial action by judicial workers, we are determined to secure more convictions with the resumption of court activities,” he stated.
Anti drug abuse awareness campaign
Suleiman also revealed that the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the Command had successfully counseled drugs addicts and carried out anti drug abuse awareness campaign and enlightenment programmes in schools, market places, motor parks and hospitals in Taraba State.
He identified unemployment among young people as the driving force for drug abuse, stressing that ”out of the over 10m Nigerians who abuse drugs, 80% of the population are youth from the age range of 19-45 who abuse drugs in the country.”
Suleiman, said; ”It is imperative now more than ever for the Command in Taraba State to have a standard rehabilitation center to enable the state benefit from the memorandum of understanding that is already in place between (NDLEA) and National Directorate of Employment(NDE) which enables rehabilitated drug dependent persons benefits and acquire skill/training from (NDE) free of charge, but currently Taraba State is not benefitting from the programmes due to lack of rehabilitation facilities in the NDLEA Center in the State.”
He called on the state government to provide an enabling office accommodation at the headquarters, to enable the command carry out necessary activities for drug education and rehabilitation in the state.
The theme for this year’s 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is ” share Fact on drugs, Save Lives.”
Mercy Chukwudiebere
