NDLEA Nabs 71 Drug Dealers, Convicts 21 in Niger

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Niger State Command, has announced that it arrested no fewer than 71 suspected drug traffickers between January and June this year.

The state command also prosecuted and secured the conviction of 21 drug dealers.

The State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Haruna Kwetishe, who disclosed this while speaking at ceremonies marking this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Minna, said that 2,022.368 kilograms of various illicit drugs and 2.4437 litres of liquid drugs were seized from traffickers during the period.

He disclosed that investigations into the cases of other suspects had reached advanced stage but did not state the number of people that were nabbed.

Kwetishe said that the Drug Demand Reduction Department of the agency has been “galvanised and working non-stop to ensure that the health aspects of the drug abuse calculus got adequate attention.”

He disclosed that the state has witnessed a variety of challenges ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, youth restiveness and unwarranted killings, which were fueled by drugs and substance abuse.

Kwetishe said that social vices would lead to the displacement of persons, psychological or mental trauma of men and women, hence the need for the creation of multiple internal displaced persons in camps in the state.

“We have intensified campaigns by means of sensitisation tagged “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA), to educate youths on the effect and consequences of drug abuse in all public schools.

“We are partnering with the state’s Ministry of Education to ensure that drug free club is launched in every secondary and primary schools because we believe in catching them young,” the commander said, adding that the campaign would also be launched at wards and district levels across the state.