From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kebbi State Command, has confirmed the arrest of 89 suspected drug dealers with the seizures of 2.800 tones of illicit drugs and psychotropic substance within six months in the state.
The State Commander of the agency, Commander of Narcotics (CN), Peter Onche Odaudu, who spoke to reporters in Birnin Kebbi, said that the suspects were arrested between January and July 7.
According to him, ‘the command counter-narcotic efforts in the just outgoing year 2021 were all geared towards policing Kebbi State and checking the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking, with a view to reducing same to the barest minimum and strengthen security in the state.
‘From January to July 7, this year, a total of 89 suspects were arrested. Of the lot, 87 were males while only two were females.
‘In the same vein, a whopping 2.800 tones of drugs, were seized and taken out of circulation, and some of these had been transfered to us by the Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) and Nigeria Police Force in the state. Cannabis sativa constituted 2,594.6016 kilogrammes.
‘Psychotropic substances which include tramadol tablets, diazepam, cough syrup with cocaine accounted for the remaining 232.2947 kilogrammes,’ he said.
He explained that the agency was able to admit 21 clients into their rehabilitation facility while 18 persons of of them have been discharged.
‘In the area of rehabilitation and counselling, a total of five persons are undergoing counselling and rehabilitation currently.’
Odaudu, who reiterated the Command’s commitment to the war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state, appreciated the support they received from the state government, sister agencies, media and good people of the state.
‘We are still calling on the government to assist us with operational vehicles and motorcycles as the command faces challenges of logistics to carryout its operation to the hot- spot and hard- to- reach areas in the state.
‘Within the ambit of the resources – human, materials and financial – available, the Command will not rest on her oars until drug peddlers and users are run out of business,’Odaudu said.