By Owen Akenzua, Asaba
The Delta State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, says over six hundred drug dependent persons have been counseled in the past one year, including eleven victims who were admitted and reintegrated to society after rehabilitation.
The State Commander of Narcotics Abubakar Wada, made this known at Ogashi-Uku, while briefing journalists on achievements of the NDLEA, from June last year, as part of activities to mark the 2024 United Nations Day Against Drug abuse.
Commander of Narcotics Abubakar Wada said, the NDLEA has seized two thousand five hundred kilograms, and two thousand one hundred litres of illicit substances, as part of drug supply reduction efforts in the state.
Mr Wada also observed that the Command had secured 201 convictions, with 229 cased pending at the three High Courts in the state.
[Commander Wada stated]
“The Command has succeeded in arresting over two thousand five hundred kilograms of assorted drugs, and we also made a seizure of over two thousand liters of codeine syrup.”
On drug demand reduction strategy the Commander noted 455 males and 175 females were counseled within the period, including three persons who are undergoing treatment at the Command’s Rehabilitation Center.
[He observed that]
“Based on the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act now, some defendants will ask for plea bargain. We have also been applying that provision now, to some of our cases.”
He added that the agency had established War Against Drug Abuse Clubs in 68 secondary schools, in the three senatorial districts of the state, as part of sensitization efforts on the dangers of drug abuse.
Meanwhile, a Deputy State Commander of Narcotics DCN Peter Odey, called for more funding of the operations of the force, in terms of logistics to enable the NDLEA intensify it’s effort to reduce drug supply and demand to the minimum.
