In a fresh bust which was reported by the agency, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of over 774 suspects while brandishing some confiscated 3,874.3kgs of various narcotics and psychotropic substances which they had seized in Nasarawa, Benue, and Plateau in the first half of 2022.
The Zonal Commander in the zone, Umoru Ambrose, had made this statement in Lafia on Sunday while marking the 2022 UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
He had reported that up to 134 drug suspects were prosecuted during the period, while 378 drug users were counseled and rehabilitated. He had also added that some of the states in the zone had intensified their operations in the War against Drug Abuse and sensitization.
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Ambrose called on all stakeholders to get involved in curbing the drug menace in the zone.
In his remarks, Peter Odaudu who is the NDLEA Commander in Nasarawa State, had reiterated that the celebrations underscored the need for access to proper treatment for people with drug disorders.
He had also stressed that the war against drugs must be intensified in Nasarawa State especially given the position of the State as the second-highest drug prevalence state in North Central after Kwara.
“Statistics from the 2018 drug survey showed a very alarming trend, the involvement of females in drug issues
“We have at least one female out of every four drug users; this development is worrisome and must be reversed,’’ he said.
Odaudu thanked Nasarawa State’s Gov. Abdullahi Sule for his support for the NDLEA and solicited urgent intervention in the provision of operational vehicles and the construction of a rehabilitation center.
Mr. Nwora Okpalaeke, the guest speaker, who is also the coordinator of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria in Nasarawa State, had also reported that 494,000 users died of drug abuse in 2019.