Rate of drug abuse among youth & women worrisome - NDLEA

Abiodun OBA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has described the rate of drug abuse among youth and women as being worrisome.

The Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Abdallah made the remark at the public destruction of illicit drug exhibits at a briefing held at Gida Daya Dungal Village, along Bauchi-Jos road on Thursday.

Abdalla said, “The rampancy of drug abuse among youth and women is worrisome. While these drugs may appear less injurious, they are as harmful as cocaine and cannabis sativa.”

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Barrister Oluruntoba Femi, the NDLEA chairman revealed that a total of 16,142 kilogrammes of seized illicit drugs in Bauchi State were destroyed.

The seized drugs include Tramadol, Rohypnol, Diazepam, Exol-5, Cannabis Sativa and Cough syrups with codeine.

The breakdown of the drugs destroyed is 6,666.852 kilogrammes of cannabis, 7,011.865 kilogrammes of cough syrup containing codeine and 1,883.914 kilogrammes of tramadol.

The last public destruction of seized illicit drugs in Bauchi State was in 2010.

Abdallah lamented that it was frightening that such quantity of drugs could be seized compared to the population of the state.

He said: “In our operation in the Northeast, we have seen drug as an energizer of insurgency and terrorism. The military has continued to seize various types of drugs in many of the terrorist camps they have been taken over. Drugs and violence are mutually inclusive and reinforcing.

“Between January 2020 and today, the agency has destroyed a total of 150,739.0508 kilogrammes of drugs.

“In Lagos, 100,035.418 kilogrammes of drug exhibits were destroyed. The agency also destroyed 34,560.9438 kilogrammes of drugs in Ogun state a week ago.”

The Commander of the NDLEA in the state, Segun Oke, reiterated that illicit drugs are the root cause of crimes in the society.

He said, “All these drugs are the base of most crimes; prostitution, armed robbery, kidnapping and general insecurity in the state and the country at large.

“It is of utmost importance to do this public destruction of seized drug exhibit to send a message out that we collectively take a stance against the scourge of illicit drugs in our society.”