The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Taraba State command has recognised the state as a hotspot for illicit drug usage.
Persons between the ages of 16 and 46 are thought to be the most impacted.
Nanzing Sallah, the state commandant, revealed this on Wednesday at a meeting with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) state council.
The state commandant said, marijuana, codeine, tramadol, and methamphetamine (ice) as common narcotics in the area.
He ascribed this troubling development to drug traffickers, who use the state as a transit point.
Furthermore, he linked the state’s high percentage of criminal activity to drug consumption.
Sallah confirmed multiple arrests and seizures of hard narcotics across the state, reiterating the agency’s commitment to combating the issue.
While applauding the state government for promising to build a rehabilitation centre, he believes the facility, if built, will go a long way towards treating drug addicts.
He vowed the Agency’s commitment to working with the NUJ, stating that such a collaboration would assist in publicising the agency’s actions and rehabilitate the state’s soiled image.
NUJ State Chairman Mathew Jen praised the NDLEA’s efforts to combat drug usage in the state, assuring it of the journalists’ commitment to provide comprehensive coverage in order to accomplish the shared objective of a drug-free Taraba State.
cc: Daily Post Ng
