CITIZENS COMPASS —The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, has seized 95,083.114 kilograms, which is over 95 tons of different types of illicit drugs in Lagos within the year 2023.
During the year under review, the Command arrested 919 suspects consisting of 793 male and 126 females that are involved in the illegal drug trade.
The successes that was recorded during the year 2023 do not end with arrests and seizures but also in prosecuting the offenders. The Command successfully prosecuted and convicted 237 defendants with various jail terms.
Their assets were also forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
These include the following: (a) a property situated at Bode Hamid Olowo Street, Mende Marland Lagos, and (b) fourteen (14) vehicles that are used for the business of illicit drugs.
Also, during the year 2023, the Command did not only concentrate on arrests, seizures, and prosecution, but it also embarked rigorously on sensitizations, awareness campaigns and seminars through the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative of the Hon. Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brg. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) OFR, CON.
In this aspect, communities, schools, religious bodies, civil societies and organisations were targeted to sensitised them of the danger and consequences of illicit drug trafficking and abuse with the intent of educating them to detect and expose those involved in the trade and also to desist and look for remedy for those who found themselves in the abuse of drugs.
The successes that were recorded in 2023 do not just occur on a silver platter. Rather, it was achieved through the cooperations of well-meaning Lagosians, Sister Security Agencies and Corporate bodies that are passionate about the War Against Drug Abuse and care for developmental strides of the State in particular and Nigeria in general. The NDLEA appreciates them as well as the state government for all their support in the achievements.
The NDLEA, under the leadership of Abubakar Liman Wali, a Commander of Narcotics (CN), promised to maintain the tempo of the successes gained and will even surpass it in the current year, 2024.
He is equally soliciting for more support, collaboration, synergy, and understanding so that we all together can tame the tide of this monster called illicit drug peddling and abuse that is ravaging our societies.
“Drug is not a respecter of anybody. It takes your money, joy, health, and even life no matter the class you belong to. We all must join hands together to fight it head-on.”
