The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it arrested 284 suspects for drug trafficking and related offences within one year.
NDLEA Commander in Ekiti State, Sunday Aina, who said that within the period, the agency secured the conviction of 57 drug dealers with the cases of others pending in court, cautioned residents to stay away from drugs and drug-related offences.
Aina, according to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ifeoluwa Fabiyi, in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, spoke on Friday while giving a scorecard of NDLEA Ekiti State Command under his watch for the year 2024.
The NDLEA commander made a case for a befitting rehabilitation centre in Ekiti State, saying, “The centre will, no doubt, help in the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of drug users.”
He hailed the agency’s chairman, Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), for his “dynamic and visionary leadership,” which he said had culminated in achievements recorded in the renewed onslaught against the menace of substance use and abuse in the country”.
The commander said the renewed drug war in his command, coupled with the support of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in the fight against illicit substances in Ekiti State, had resulted in drug supply and demand reductions in the state command.
He said, “Ekiti State Command recovered a total of 3,998.506 kg of different illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, amphetamine, psychotropic substances and cannabis sativa in the past one year.
“The command also discovered and destroyed over 192 tonnes of Cannabis Sativa in weight across different local government areas of the state, planted on farmlands measuring over 76.93 hectares.
“A total of 284 suspects were arrested, which comprised 224 males and 60 females in the process. Among the arrested suspects, a total of 57 drug dealers, which comprised 51 males and six females, were successfully convicted and serving jail terms, with other cases still pending at the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.
“A total of 163 drug users and abusers, which comprised 153 males and 10 females, were counselled and some referred for further rehabilitation where necessary during this same period,” Aina said.
He said that the command, also within the period under review, took the War against Drug Abuse campaigns to the grassroots, saying, “Within the year, 57 public sensitisation and awareness campaigns, seminars and rallies against the use and abuse of illicit substances were carried out.
“The radio and television media were not left out, with 31 campaigns carried out on different platforms within the state,” the state commander said.
