By Moses Gbande
The office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Plateau State has destroyed 16,697kg seized of illicit drugs in Plateau state.
The Chairman/chief executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NFLEA) Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (Rtd) says the quantity of drugs siezed is frightening, compared to the population of the State.
He pointed out that Contrary to the long standing notion that Cannabis is the most widely abused drug, in Plateau State, a more pervasive abuse of pharmaceutical drugs of prescription such as cough syrup with Codeine and Tramadol is on the high.
The CEO alluded that going by the numbers of seizures, there is no doubt that there is high prevalence of demand for drugs in the, State.
On the agency’s operation in the North, Colonel Abdullah described the North Central and even North East where there are challenges of insecurity, often see drugs drugs play a critical role as an energizer of insurgency and terrorism.
At the public destruction of the forfeited drug exhibits at Nanfang Mountain, off Shen road, Du district of Jos South LGA on Tuesday, State Commander NDLEA, Plateau State Command, Ibrahim Braji Said The Command so far has arrested 1,530 suspects from 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The command has also secured conviction for 423 suspects to various jail terms and there are still pending cases before the Federal High Court for arraignment, trial and prosecution.
Plateau state Governor, Simon Lalong who supervised the public destruction of the sized drugs said, many of the security challenges that we are confronted with such as kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, cultism, rape and other associated problems such as road accidents are associated with the illicit drug business.
Governor Lalong said “With the collaboration of all security agencies and the citizens of the State, the Rescue Administration has worked assiduously to bring to an end recurring crises and criminality in the state.
Nasarawa Reporters 