NDLEA striving to stem flow of illicit substances

The Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Borno State, Joseph Icha, has said drug abuse and circulation are on the increase in the state and that several measures are being taken to stem the flow of the illegal substances to the state, including routine traffic search. Mr Icha who made the […]

The Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Borno State, Joseph Icha, has said drug abuse and circulation are on the increase in the state and that several measures are being taken to stem the flow of the illegal substances to the state, including routine traffic search.

Mr Icha who made the disclosure in Maiduguri said the agency utilised credible information about the circulation of hard drugs and raided places where they were distributed or kept.

“The raids are carried out mainly to arrest suspects and seize illicit substances,” he said.

The commander further said the circulation of illicit substitutes had contributed to the rise of anti-social behaviours, including kidnapping, banditry and insurgency.

He said, “Most of the violent behaviours happen when the perpetrators are high on drugs. That is why we advise parents who are closer to their children to monitor them and report suspicious behaviours to relevant authorities. That is one of the ways parents can effectively help in checking drug abuse.”

He said different types of illicit substances had been intercepted and seized in the state, including cocaine and heroin, and that the ones frequently seized by the agency included cannabis, Tramadol, Diazepam, Rohypnodol, Exol, Pentazocine, Codeine, Lexotan Co-Codamol Syrup, Lidocine, Oxytocin and Optalidon.

According to him, the total weight of hard drugs seized in the state by the agency between January and June, 2021, is 67.025kg and that six females and 290 males were arrested.