The National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Abia State Command, yesterday, said that
it has arrested 26 suspected drug traffickers in the state and recovered illegal
substances.
This was
even as the Abia State Ministry of Homeland Security pledged to support NDLEA
in its fight to check escalating increase in the use of illegal drugs in the
state.
The Abia State
Commissioner for Homeland Security, Mr Dan Okoli, speaking during his visit to
the NDLEA’s office, said that the synergy would yield good dividends.
Okoli, who
linked most violent crimes to hard drugs, noted that the agency’s operations
were at the heart of reducing crimes in Abia State, hence the need to support it
to the fullest.
He said:
“You’ll find out that crimes are committed when the perpetrators are under
influence, which is the root of the crime. If you attack crime from its root,
it will be easier to be uprooted. This is why the government is interested in
the NDLEA. We’re going to do things to the best of our ability to assist NDLEA
to reduce drug abuse to the barest minimum in Abia State. This will make
it easier for me, my ministry and other security agencies in the state to curb crime.
We’ll also try to monitor them because where you put your resources is where
you’ll pay attention to.”
Okoli praised
the NDLEA for the arrest of 26 drug suspects at the notorious, ‘Milverton York’
in Aba. He revealed that after he received information about the dreadful acts
going in the Milverton York, he had quickly passed the information to the NDLEA,
leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Okoli explained
that part of his ministry’s mandate was advocacy, explaining that the advocacy
programme was intended to sensitize community leaders, transport unions and
vigilante groups on security issues.
Speaking
earlier, the Abia State Commander, NDLEA, Mr Bamidele Akingbade, noted that
Abia State has a high preponderance of hard drugs. He noted that NDLEA had been
doing its best to check the trend. He, however, called for support to overcome
the agency’s handicaps, such as lack of vehicles form operations.
He explained
that the 26 suspects arrested were part of the agency’s Christmas and New Year
efforts to ensure no drug dealer was allowed a field day in the state.
The
Commander also urged the state to support his agency’s drive to ensure that
laws were reviewed and the legal bench was sensitized to ensure adequate
punishment of drug dealers.
Akingbade
said that some of the drugs recovered from the suspects include, heroin,
cocaine, marijuana, mixture of marijuana and hot drinks (Monkey tail), packets
of tramadol and cocaine hidden and packaged in clothes’ buttons.
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