The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized over 1,447.6 kilograms of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in 2019 in Kogi state.
Commander of the NDLEA in charge of Kogi state Mr Alfred Adewumi disclosed this while presenting highlights of the agency’s counter-drugs measures and activities in the state at a press conference on Monday in Lokoja.
According to the Blueprint Paper, Adewumi said 11 hectares of cannabis sativa plantation was destroyed in Igolijo, a community on the boundary of Kogi and Enugu states, saying 18 tons of hard drugs worth millions of naira were also destroyed in April, 2019.
He added that out of the 103 suspected drug offenders arrested and prosecuted, 14 person including two females were convicted and sentenced to various terms in prison.
Adewumi said that while the command was celebrating the removal of huge quantity of drugs from circulation, drug barons were unrelenting in their deadly business.
“I therefore use this opportunity to call on governments, families, religious bodies, educational institutions, the Judiciary and other stakeholders to join hands with the agency to halt the potentially worrisome increase in the number of drug victims, especially women and children”, he said
The commander also reminded the people of the state of the existence of a functional drug rehabilitation centre in Lokoja saying the centre was adequately equipped to deal with drug dependency concerns.
“Because we recognise that drugs drive most criminal activities, I wish to restate our resolve to continue to disrupt, dismantle and defeat the merchants of death and make our state and society safe and secure”, he added.
Adewumi commended the effective synergy between security agencies in the state as well as the media for the cooperation and collaboration that accounted for the success recorded by the command.