The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Imo State command said that 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 regretted 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 caught 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 counseling and rehabilitation, as well as aftercare.
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.
