Francis Sardauna
The Katsina State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled many illicit drug joints and arrested 491 suspected drug peddlers and users in the state.
The agency added that 146 out of the 491 suspects were nabbed by a special enforcement team from its national headquarters who were deployed in the state to aid the command’s raid operations.
The state NDLEA Commander, Mohammed Bashir Ibrahim, stated this Monday while briefing journalists as part of the week-long activities in commemoration of 2022 United Nations (UN) Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking.
This year’s UN Day with the theme ‘Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises’, is expected to highlight the socio-economic, political and security implications of drug abuse on the society.
He said: “During this period (January to May), 345 suspects were arrested. This comprises 339 males and six females, whereas about 388 substance abuse persons were counselled and rehabilitated.
“In June, as part of the command supply effort, the special enforcement team was invited from national headquarters to boost our raid operations, 146 suspects were arrested within five days of the raid.”
He reiterated that the command had secured 15 convictions within the period under review and 19 clients were undergoing rehabilitation at its facility located in the Katsina metropolitan area.
According to Ibrahim, “It is sad to note that over 90 per cent of arrested suspects and counselled clients fall between the age bracket of 15 to 40 years.”
He said operatives of the agency dismantled many drug joints in a series of raids conducted in Katsina metropolis and other local government areas in the state.
The state NDLEA commander appealed to the state government to assist the agency in the area of logistics “which is seriously hampering our operations”.
He, however, assured the state government that the men and officers of the command under his watch would not relent until the menace of illicit drug abuse and trafficking is tackled in the state.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Narcotics, Hamza Borodo, said the state government would continue to support the NDLEA in order to ward off drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
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