By Jennifer John
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Imo State command says it had arrested about one hundred and ten suspects with drugs, seizing about seven hundred kilograms of drugs, such as Cannabis Sativa (Igbo), Cocaine, Heroin, Tramadol, Metaphitamin (aka Mkpurummiri), Rophinol, Exol, Vadum, among others so far in 2021.
The state commandant of the agency Mr, Nse Jack disclosed this in a chat with journalists at the agencies office, along Aba Road, Owerri.
He regrated that many youths of the state are involved in various stages of drug abuse, adding that the high number of hotels in the state serve as convergent point for the drug takers.
He therefore urged the hoteliers to put measures in place to prevent the use of their premises for illicit drug businesses, because failure to do that will make them culpable.
According to the commandant, the last time the UNO conducted research on drug abuse in Nigeria in 2018, Imo State had the highest prevalence among states in the South East.
On the action taken against those cought with drugs, the commandant had these to say, “They are charged to court and when the court is through with them, most times the court send them to jail and at this point we apply to the court for permission to destroy the drugs publicly by burning, because we don’t allow them to get back to the society.
He said the agency do not base only on arrest, prosecution and jailing, but also on counceling and rehabilitation, as well as aftercare.
Also according to the commandant, the agency’s task is divided into two principal functions; The drug supply reduction site which has to do with; arrests, seizures, prosecution and confiscation, while the second one is the drug demand reduction site which is all about public enlightenment/ sensitization, drug education, seminars, among others.
He said the agency in Imo State is planning a lot of enlightenment campaign do discourage people from drug abuse during the ember month, as according to him, the issue of drug abuse has become a very serious problem in Nigeria that if nothing serious was done about it, has the potential of ruining the country.
He made it clear that the law against drug abuse do not exempt anybody, as anyone cought engaging in illicit drug business will be prosecuted, nomatter how highly placed.
