NDLEA destroys over 100,000 tons of illicit drugs, psychotropic substances

By Esther Onyegbula

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

Over 100,000 tons of hard drugs and psychotropic substances seized by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Lagos State was publicly destroyed at Ibereko, Badagry area of Lagos, yesterday.

Performing the destruction of forfeited drug exhibits, the anti-narcotic agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive, Col Mustapha Abdallah (retd) expressed shock over a large number of drugs and psychotropic substances, because Lagos state, according to him, was not known for large scale production of any of the destroyed drugs.

He said: “We are not unmindful of the peculiarity of Lagos, being a state with an increasingly large population, relatively easy transportation network and accessibility through sea and land borders all of which enhance drug trafficking and abuse.

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“It is in the realisation of these features that we have ensured an adequate number of formations in Lagos to address the identified enhancers. The NDLEA formations in Lagos State cover the hinterland, land borders and sea and airports to achieve effective coverage. The results are these huge seizures.“

Giving the breakdown of the seizure, the agency’s Lagos State Commander, Ralph Igwenagu, revealed that the seized and forfeited narcotic drugs consist of 770.2 kg of cocaine, 238.063 kg of methamphetamine, 87,471.607 kg of cannabis saliva, 271. 56Kg of heroin and 23.02kg of ephedrine, seized between 2013 and 2019.

Igwenagu added that “based on the statistics above, governments, communities, families, schools, NGOs and media must take necessary steps to counteract drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state.

Igwenagu said: “Rehabs are a very important aspect of our operations. Apart from arrest and seizures, we rehabilitate drug users and drug addicts. Our rehab programme is a sustainable project, which is why we have rehabilitation centres in the state and area commands.”

He, however, called on the Lagos State government to establish a rehabilitation centre to manage drug addicts, owing to what he described as the alarming number of youths involved in the usage of illicit drugs.

He said: “The teeming number of Nigerian youths currently undergoing counselling and rehabilitation for drug abuse is quite alarming and devastating.

“The rising number of Nigerian youths suffering from one form of mental illness or the other due to substance abuse has continued to be on the increase.

“To provide justice for health, we need to promote humane conditions of imprisonment to ensure health for all and justice for all,” he said.

 

 

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