NDLEA arrests 149 drugs suspects in Kogi

Between January and June of this year, the Kogi State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 149 suspects with a total of 2,699kg of assorted hard drugs.

Mr Abdulkadir Abdullahi Fakai, the Kogi State Commander of the NDLEA, made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday in Lokoja to kick off a week-long celebration of the 2022 United Nations Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking.

The Commander stated that 149 drug suspects, both male and female, were apprehended with 2,699kg of various drugs during the time period under review, including codeine, methamphetamine, Exol-5, diazepam, tramadol, cannabis sativa, and pentazocine.

According to the NDLEA’s director, the Agency’s highest seizure was 948.956kg in April, followed by 307.815kg in May, and the lowest was 59.973 kg in June. 

He stated that the command has already tried and convicted 29 people, while other cases are still pending at the Federal High Court in Lokoja.

“The drug situation in Nigeria and indeed Kogi is disturbing, especially being a microcosm of Nigeria, and as a federating unit, Kogi cannot stand alone in the face of this ominous threat of drug abuse and trafficking.

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 “The implication on security, economic and the general wellbeing is dire. Statistics and empirical facts from National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operations indicate clearly that the drug problem is mutating into a colossal social problem. 

“It has become an issue linked beyond doubt to escalation of insecurity and its attendant effects on peace and economy across the country, ” he said He said that the debilitating effects of armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, rape, and other violent crimes against humanity were contesting for the soul of our nation.

According to him, “We know that drugs are mostly the catalyst for these vices, because anywhere that there is drug, there is crime and vice versa.” He said that explains why the command has engaged in various operations, sensitization, and courtesy visits to Governor Yahaya Bello, Secretary to State Government, traditional rulers, and the state security chiefs including the Police and the Nigerian Army. 

He disclosed, “In the area of drug abuse and preventive education (DAPE), 25 schools and organizations were sensitized from January to date while 84 clients referred from investigation units were counselled within the period. “Drug war is a onerous task that can not be left in the hands of the agency alone.” 

He listed some of the successes recorded during the period, including the arrest/seizure of a J5 bus carrying 750kg of dried weeds (Indian Hemp) on the Okene/Lokoja-Abuja expressway, the interception of 29 pieces of sewn military camouflage uniforms in a truck, and the arrest of a jailbreaker. Fakai, on the other hand, urged the general public to cooperate, support, and provide useful information to the agency whenever they notice or hear something unusual.

He stated that all hands must be on deck because the Agency cannot do it alone, but that the government at all levels, traditional institutions, religious and opinion leaders, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) must all pitch in to ensure a drug-free Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.