The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Wednesday revealed that the Agency successfully prosecuted and secured the conviction of 677 drug traffickers, out of the 3,359 arrested, while 65,915.891kg of drugs were seized in the first quarter of 2022.
The Agency’s Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement reviewing its performance in the first quarter, said it has intensified the war against illicit drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria.
The Agency said no fewer than 2,223 drug users were also counselled through brief interventions and rehabilitated in its facilities across the country in the first quarter of the year.
These figures, he said, represent a fair balance between the Agency’s drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
According to him, “Lagos has the highest figure of drug seizures with 22,192.62 kilograms of illicit substances recovered from parts of the state, followed by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Command, Ikeja, also in Lagos, with 8,979.869kg of drugs seized between January and March, while Kano and Kaduna led the pack in the arrests of offenders with 194 arrests each within the same period.
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“While a total of 257 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in forests across Ondo state, 14.869 hectares suffered same fate in Edo and an hectare destroyed in Bayelsa state within the same period.
A further breakdown of the drugs seized within the first quarter of the year shows Cannabis leading the table in January with 8,205.75kg; followed by Codeine -414.281kg; Diazepam -192.459kg; Tramadol -135.067kg; Rophynol -43.062kg and Cocaine -24.32kg.
In February, Cannabis also topped the list of seizures with 20,538.79kg; Codeine -1,848.052kg; Tramadol -540.354kg; Diazepam -137.041kg; Rophynol -80.261kg; Cocaine -15.727kg; Methamphetamine – 6.207kg and Heroin – 4.006kg.
Cannabis also topped the list of seizures in March with 21,583.81kg; followed by Tramadol -8,965.319kg; Codeine -417.207kg; Diazepam -57.755kg; Cocaine -45.082kg; Methamphetamine -7.527kg; Rophynol -6.34kg and Heroin -1.497kg.
While appreciating the commitment of officers and men of the Agency for a commendable performance in the first quarter of the year, Chairman/Chief Executive of (NDLEA) Buba Marwa, urged them not to rest on their oars.
He has also assured them that every outstanding performance would always attract commensurate commendation.
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