By Oluwabukola Akanni
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), on Tuesday in Ibadan destroyed 16, 799 kilogrammes of assorted narcotic drugs seized within Oyo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exhibit with an estimated street value of N 1 billion was set ablaze by Oyo State Command of the NDLEA in collaboration with the Oyo State Government.
The Chairman of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa, said that the various drugs including 16,473kg of Cannabis Sativa, 4g of cocaine and 326kg of psychotropic substances were seized from 2017 to October 2021.
Marwa, represented by the agency’s Secretary, Mr Shadrach Haruna, said that the drug use prevalence of 14.4 per cent, was almost thrice the global average.
“Occasions such as this is an open window for the public to have an insight into what the officers and men of the NDLEA are doing behind the scene.
“What we are here to do today is the tail end of a long-drawn process that started with the gathering of intelligence, followed by interdiction, arrests and prosecutions.
“Public destruction of exhibits is the end of the process. And for the officers and men of the Agency, it is a testament that the hard work of the past weeks, months and years are not in vain.
“To be destroyed today is an illicit drug haul weighing approximately 16,799kg, comprising 16,473 kg of Cannabis sativa, 4g of cocaine and 326kg of psychotropic substances.
“The worth of these substances is well over one billion naira. What this large seizure by the Oyo State Command of NDLEA tells us is that there is a significant drug use prevalence in the state.
“The implication is that salvaging the situation requires cooperation between NDLEA and everyone that is a stakeholder to the safety and wellbeing of Oyo State. We can hardly quantify the scale of the problem averted by preventing these substances from falling into the wrong hands.
“We know too well the kinds of problems that result from the abuse of illicit substances just as we are aware that some of the challenges facing our society are due in part to years of passivity towards matters of abuse and trafficking of illicit drugs,” he said.
The Oyo State Commander of NDLEA, Abdullahi Saeed, said that the command had arrested 153 suspects for various drug offences since January 2022.
Saeed said that the command had also secured 31 convictions since the inception of the year.
“From the figures of arrests and seizures mentioned above it is crystal clear that we have a huge drug challenge confronting us in the State and the country.
“This situation calls for a purposeful convergence on the drug issue with a view to stemming it out of existence from our society.
“As a people, institutions and bodies desirous of having a peaceful and secure nation we must declare war collectively on drug trafficking and abuse now and not later. This call is made against the backdrop of the fact that drug kills, destroys families, affects work, diminishes economy of nations, destabilizes polity, fuels crime and creates insecurity.
“This in my view is the right course of action we must undertake now for our immediate good and the security of our future. “Failure to act now will throw us to the posterity for harsh judgement. We cannot afford to sit by and pretend that all is well when our youths are being hooked to drugs and their future being destroyed. Your contribution matters, my contribution matters and everyone’s contribution matters,” he said.
In her remarks, the Oyo State Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, promised that the state government would avail the agency of its support to rid the state of illicit drug use and trafficking. (NAN)
