Over a 29-month period, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested 31,675 suspected drug offenders.
Over 6.3 million kilograms of various substances were recovered during the same time period, according to the NDLEA, while 5,147 of the 31,675 detained criminals were tried and found guilty.
NDLEA Secretary Shadrach Haruna, who spoke on behalf of the agency’s Chairman Buba Marwa, announced the news on Monday during a press conference with Oliver Stolpe, the country’s UNODC representative, to kick off the week-long celebrations of the 2023 World Drug Day.
According to Haruna, “This year’s theme, ‘People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention,’ is in furtherance of the whole-of-society approach to taming the drug scourge. This theme is especially pertinent to the Nigerian situation at the moment.
“In the past two and a half years, we have strengthened our law enforcement efforts to cut down on the supply of drugs in society. In 29 months, we have arrested 31,675 drug offenders, including 35 barons, successfully prosecuted and convicted 5,147 of them, and over 11,000 other cases still pending in court, while 23,725 drug users have been counselled and rehabilitated, the majority of them through brief interventions.
“At least 6.3 million kilogrammes of various illicit substances have been recovered in response to our efforts to sweep up drugs and shut down the distribution channels. We have destroyed 852.142 hectares of cannabis farms and dismantled three clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. I can assure you that even as we speak, the NDLEA agents are busy with interdiction activities somewhere.”
He went on to say that drug supply reduction is only one part of the equation. And another important part is drug demand reduction, which means prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Stolpe stressed the importance of international collaboration in criminal justice. With a special goal of eliminating trafficking networks involved in the heinous trade.
“Long overdue is the need to make sure that the public and primary healthcare providers are better prepared to take basic drug counselling needs, knowing how to deal with people suffering from drug use disorders”.
Mr. Stolpe stated this while praising the NDLEA for its achievements. In the battle against substance addiction and illegal drug trafficking in Nigeria.
cc: Punch Ng
