UN Drug Day: NDLEA Arrests 517, Convicts 40 in Akwa Ibom, Enugu

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Enugu State Command, on Wednesday said it arrested 105 drug suspects and seized 549 kilogramme of cannabis in the state between January and June 2019.

The agency also revealed that it has between June 2018 and June 2019 convicted 20 persons while 412 suspects were arrested for being in possession of hard drugs in Akwa Ibom State.

The Enugu State Commandant of NDLEA, Mr. Adeyemi O. Adeofe, who disclosed this while addressing journalists during the commemoration of United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit drug trafficking, revealed that 20 of the arrested suspects have been convicted while many others are still in court.

According to him, “Like you know all over the country, we are having preponderance of drug abuse, but within our limited resources and logistics available to us, we have been trying our best to make sure we reduce it to the barest minimum.

Adeofe explained that between January and June 2019, the agency arrested 105 suspects; 98 male and seven female. And out of all cases that have gone to court, 20 people have been convicted while a lot of the cases are still in court.

 

“We have seized about 549 kilogramme of cannabis between January and June in Enugu State; we have seized 37 grammes of heroin, 800 grammes of methamphetamine and 100 kilogramme of ephedrine which is a precursor chemical for producing methamphetamine,” he said.

Earlier, a lecturer in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Odera Okoye, in a lecture with the theme: ‘Health for Justice, Justice for Health’, described drug abuse and football betting among students as the greatest challenges facing Nigerian universities today.

The professor particularly noted that younger students from 16 to 18 years are more susceptible to drug abuse and suicide when compared to older students from 19 years and above.

She therefore advised parents to ensure that their wards attain the required age before gaining admission into the university, which she described as a free society where the students are left on their own with the chances of picking bad habits due to peer pressure.

Meanwhile, NDLEA in Akwa Ibom State has revealed that it has between June 2018 and June 2019 convicted 20 persons while 412 suspects were arrested for being in possession of hard drugs in the state.

Briefing journalists in Uyo on the activities of the agency to mark the 2019 International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking, the state Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Mohammed Sokoto, further made it known that the command also seized a total of 322. 5 kg  of drugs during the period under review.

According to him, out of the total number of suspects apprehended, 56 were female while 356 were male, stressing that the command during the period also rehabilitated 10 persons and integrated them back to the society.

Sokoto complained that the number of persons involved in drug abuse keep increasing in the state due to peer pressure, warning parents to have close monitor of the type of company their children and wards keep.