The war on illicit drugs in Nigeria received another big boost on Tuesday as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) publicly destroyed at least 20 tons of assorted illicit drugs worth billions of Naira in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Anti-Narcotic Agency said the destruction is an affirmation of the resolve to wage a total war against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
According to the Chairman of the Agency; “We may recall that when President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign of the NDLEA on June 26, 2021.”
“He declared that WADA should not just be a slogan, but a call to civil action by all Nigerians Today’s public destruction of 20 tons of illicit drugs and substances, further buttresses that call to action.”
The Agency destroyed approximately 20, 000 kilograms of illicit drugs worth billions of naira.
Approximately, 19, 598 kilograms of these assorted illicit drugs were seized by the FCT Command, comprising 19, 178 kilograms of cannabis, 0.1 kilograms of cocaine, 0.009 kilograms of heroin and 420 kilograms of other psychotropic substances.
The remaining 362 kilograms, seized at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, comprised 173 kilograms of cocaine, 36 kilograms of heroin, 93 kilograms of ephedrine, 60 kilograms of methamphetamine, 58 grams of cannabis, 219 grams of Rohypnol and 150 grams of Tramadol.
Gen. Marwa was represented at the occasion by the Agency’s Secretary, Mr. Shadrach Haruna. She pointed out that illicit drugs and psychoactive substances were seized by the FCT and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Commands of the Agency.
She also said the exercise was taking place in accordance with the prescription of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) concerning the best method of disposing seized drugs without polluting our environmental ecosystem or endangering public health.
“To this end, NDLEA has been effectively repositioned more than ever before to curtail the production, cultivation, processing, importation, exportation, sales, trafficking and abuse of controlled drugs and illicit substances”.
“The Agency is experiencing a resurgence and is being retrofitted to operate at full capacity. I can declare to you that the drug-fighting machine that is NDLEA is fully oiled and in optimum condition. You can rest assured that the Agency will not fail in its mandate to keep society safe”, he added.
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