By Muhammad Ibrahim,Sokoto
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig. General Muhammad Buba Marwa declared this during the exhibit burning of 25 tonnes of illicit drugs by Sokoto Command of the NDLEA.
He said in connection to the seized drugs are more than four hundred suspects out of which over 95% of them were successfully convicted and sentenced.
The Chairman represented by Deputy Comptroller General Josephine Ruth Obi said their success in arresting about 32,000 drug offenders including 35 barons seized over 6.3million kilograms of Canabis plantation and dismantled three clandestine Methamphetamine laboratories as well as the conviction of 5,147 offenders within 29 months.
“On the deug situation in Sokoto,the record of arrests and seizures indicates t+at apart from the common drugs of abuse like canabis sativa,codeine-based syrup,valium,strong analgesics,others, there is the emergence and prevalence of snuffs,sheesha,Akuskura and Methamphetamine otherwise called ice,”averred Marwa.
He said the acknowledgement is with particular appreciation of the relationship that NDLEA is enjoying with the state government and Sultanate Council especially in provision of residential accommodation for the State Commander and financial support for the event by the state government which is highly commendable.
The Executive Chairman further said all the social vices and criminal bahaviors like kidnapping,banditry,cultism,rape,robbery,killings and similar vices are drug induced adding all are catalyzed by drug abuse cut across all social strata and constitute health and security challenges.
Inline with the exhibit and burning of illicit drugs,the state governor Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto expressed his readiness to contribute immensely for the Agency to succeed in the fight against drug abuse in the state.
He commended the Agency for the feat in arresting such large quantity of drugs and Barons.adding this would safe lives of consumers especially youths who are considered leaders of the future.
Represented by the Special Adviser Administration,Gandi Umar Muhammad,Gov Aliyu also said the occassion being the first of its kind since the creation of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency in Sokoto state is a monumental event to Sokoto and would improve social wellbeing of Sokoto people.
In his welcome adress,the state Commander of the Agency, said the burning is necessary and aimed to stop illicit drugs from possible circulation into the society revealing that if the illicit drugs were not seized by the Agency,and the attendant security and health challenges,they will constitute to the people of Sokoto state and the nation at large.
He then called for collecrive and continued fight on drug abuse and illicit traficking in all ramifications with NDLEA ,state government,traditional and religious institutions and all other stakeholders at the forefront for the future of Nigeria.
Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,state Governor,General Officer Commanding 8 Division Nigerian Army,Commissioner of Police and other major stakeholders in the state all signed destruction order before the illicit drugs were set ablaze.
