The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kogi has destroyed 18,083,787 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) and other psychotropic substances seized over the last four years in the state.
The drugs, which were said to be worth millions of naira, were from decided cases between 2014 and 2017. They were set ablaze in the presence of security chiefs in Lokoja.
Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, retired Col. Muhammad Abdallah, said the destroyed narcotics comprised 17,865.235 kilogrammes of Indian hemp and 218,552 kilogrammes of psychotropic substances including Tramadol, Diazepam, Codeine and other banned substances.
Abdallah, who was represented by the agency’s Chief of Staff/Director of Narcotics, Femi Oloruntoba, said Nigeria was being confronted with the challenges of drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking with over 14 per cent of the productive population actively engaged in illicit drug use.
Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi described the event as symbolic, saying that there was need to destroy the drugs before they destroyed the nation, noting that there was serious correlation between commission of crime and drug addiction.
Earlier, Alhaji Bello Idris, Commander of NDLEA in the state, wondered at the kind of crimes the seized quantity of drugs would have triggered – ranging from rape to armed robbery and homicide – if not seized from the merchants.
Credit: Daily Trust
