Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, reports that in the past two years, the organization has collected more than 6,668 metric tons of illegal substances.
Marwa made this statement in response to Governor Dikko Radda’s plea for cooperation and the deployment of additional NDLEA officers throughout the entire province of Katsina.
This was said in a statement made on Friday in Abuja by Mr. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
Marwa added that over the same time frame, over 36,096 individuals had been taken into custody, and over 6,043 had already been charged with crimes and found guilty.
He said that the drug problem was a serious problem that had wrecked the lives of many young people in Nigeria as well as entire communities.
He claims that it is the greatest threat to the public, particularly in terms of the criminal element, as 99 percent of criminals require access to narcotics and the ability to operate while intoxicated in order to do some of their crimes.
“For this reason, the NDLEA has dedicated all of its resources to operation ‘offensive action,’ with the management and directorates’ combined support.
“The goal of this operation is to confiscate any drugs that are being grown, imported, or about to be exported from the nation.
“This is the element of reducing the drug supply—more than 6,668 tonnes of illicit narcotics have been captured in the last two years.
“We have apprehended the individuals responsible for the act as well. In this time frame, over 36,096 suspects have been detained, and over 6,043 have been tried and found guilty.”
Drug demand reduction, which focuses on the prevention, treatment, and aftercare of drug-dependent individuals, is another front in the war, Marwa emphasized.
“Those who have not started using drugs or are about to start are the target audience for the preventive action.
The War Against Drug Abuse campaign was designed to target them through lobbying and sensitization at all levels, he explained. This is why it was constructed from national to local government areas.
He promised that until drugs were removed from the streets, the agency would keep up its exemplary work.
Prior to this, Radda stated that the state needed and valued the synergy.
He states that the NDLEA has been working hard to support the administration, and the Katsina State administration is aware of this.
The governor called for increased cooperation and coordination to lessen drug abuse, banditry, and trafficking in the state.
On behalf of the Katsina State Government, we humbly request the support of the NDLEA and express our gratitude for their diligent work.
He stated, “We hope that this visit strengthens the working relationship between the state and the NDLEA.”