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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested 169 drug suspects in Bayelsa, from 2019 to 2020.
The NDLEA commander in the state, Mr Kopi Maulsei, disclosed this in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, to mark the 2020 United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
He said that from the age category of drug users, it is clear that drugs are chiefly consumed for the purpose of socializing and entrainment.
“From our arrests and seizures other time, drugs are chiefly smuggled into the state, by non-indigenes who mostly do not reside in the state, but come in, deliver their wares to pocket dealers and leave.
“This leaves us of with the problem of managing drug dependence and it’s resultant health and social issued such as armed robbery, cultism, rape and kidnaping,” the commander said.
He added that following the arrests, the command seized 193.832kgs of hard drugs comprising 102.223kgs of cannabis sativa; 0.035kg of cocaine; 0.065kg of heroin; 2.5kgs of Tramadol 2,854 Tabs.
Others are 0.094kg of Swinol, 2.136kgs of Diazepam, 0.676kg of Codeine, 11 bottles, 86.103kgs of Koskorine mixtures of cannabis/alcohol.
While for 2020, he said 63kgs of cannabis was for seizure, 0.253kg of cocaine, 0.009kg of heroin and that the total grand is 63.262kgs.
According to him, one client has been successfully rehabilitated in the centre, and has go to his family.
Our correspondent reports that the commander said that in line with the 2020 theme: ‘Better Knowledge for Better Care’, there was need for all stakeholders to join hands to reduce the menace of drug abuse in the society.
He said drug abuse and illicit trafficking is one of the major challenges people face across the world, especially in developing countries like Nigeria.
The commander appealed to the state government to assist the command with vehicles as they only have two operational vehicles, which is not enough for them.
He said: “the command lacks operational vehicles and needs well-equipped rehabilitation centre to care for drug dependent persons. Presently the command has a rehab unit that cares for only eight to ten users.
“An appeal also to multinationals and other business organizations to partner with NDLEA in drug education programmes, by sponsoring of drug awareness programmes,” he appealed.
