The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested no fewer than 666 suspects for alleged drug trafficking in Borno between 2021 and June 2022.
The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Icha, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri yesterday.
Icha said that in 2021, the agency arrested 561 suspects, comprising 553 males and eight females, while in the first quarter of 2022, 113 persons were arrested for various drug offences.
He explained that large quantities of drugs ranging from cannabis sativa, Cocaine, heroine, tramadol, Rohypnol and Diazepam, among other substances, were recovered from the suspects.
Icha said one of the suspects was arrested with 10.522kgs of compressed cannabis sativa concealed in a warehouse in Ungwan Doki, Maigadari ward, Maiduguri.
The NDLEA commander said that the suspect was charged to court and granted bail, but re-arrested nine months later with 20kgs of Indian hemp.
"We charged most of them to court but at the end of the day, they are granted bail. As we speak, we have about 123 cases pending before the Federal High Court," he said.
He said the agency had intensified the war against drug users and traffickers to safeguard the future of young Nigerians.
"We have embarked on aggressive campaign toward ensuring drug supply and demand reduction, where we track those that are manufacturing, producing, compounding or transporting substances and making it available for sell.
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"When we arrest them, we charged them to court and take them out of business.
"In the drug demand reduction campaign, we reach out to those that are at the risk of drug abuse, sensitise and educate them on the dangers while those who already into drugs, we provide them with counselling services," he said.
Icha said that the agency had so far rehabilitated 20 drug addicts, adding that out of the number only one person relapsed after the treatment.
According to him, the command had sensitised about 33,805 persons on drug abuse education and counselling.
He added that the agency was collaborating with the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital to treat persons with drug challenges that needed psychiatric attention.
