...seize over 243, 520 kilograms of drug
By Our Correspondent
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Wednesday, said it has arrested over 248 suspected drug traffickers in 2021 in Ebonyi State.
The Agency, also seized over 243, 520 kilograms of drug within the period under review in the state.
The Deputy Commander of the Agency in the state, Amaka Ekwalor stated this at a pre-event press briefing for an Advocacy and sensitisation programme for Izzii/Abakaliki Federal Constituency with the theme "Support the war against drug abuse".
The programme is sponsored by the Lawmaker representing the Constituency, Sylvester Ogbaga and RandBurg Nigeria Limited.
She noted that 20 of the suspected drug traffickers, all males aged between 20 to 65 years were successfully prosecuted and convicted at the Federal High Court.
According to her, cannabis accounted for 183,313 kilograms of the total drugs seized within the said period.
She lamented that the menace of drug use is taking a frightening dimension in the country despite measures put in place by the government.
The Deputy Commander noted that drug use prevalence in Nigeria cuts across all ages, gender, religion, socio economic status and regions.
"The National drug use survey 2018 revealed that 14.3 million Nigerians aged between 15-64 years had used psychotic substance"
"Also, one in seven persons had used a drug( other than tobacco and alcohol) in the past one year", she said.
She also expressed worry at the high number of female drug users in the country.
"More worrisome is the finding that one in every four drug users in Nigeria is a woman. The finding also shows that more women (2.5percent) than men (2.3percent) abuse cough syrup containing codeine", she said.
The State Commander said women involvement in substance abuse has more implications than the men because of the role women play in child nurturing and upbringing.
She noted that the drug use prevalence in the southeast was nearly twice that of the national prevalence.
"An estimated 13.8 percent of 1.5 million persons aged between 15 to 64 years had used drugs within the past year".
"The past year prevalence of cannabis use was particularly high in the zone with an estimated 10.9 percent followed by pharmaceutical opioids such as tramadol, codeine or morphine.
"Worthy of mention is the high prevalence use of the new stimulant known as nkpurummiri (methamphetamine) which is highly addictive and ravaging the youths", she added.
She called for support of stakeholders including government, communities and non governmental organizations in the agency's War Against Drug Abuse (WADA).
Dr Ngọzi Madubuike, the Director Directorate of Drug Demand Reduction of the Agency said their is inadequate rehabilitation centers and specialists in the country to provide rehabilitation and reform treatment and therapy for drug users in the country.
"To bridge the gap, the Agency plans to build six new rehabilitation centers in the six geo-political zone of the country this year", she said.
She gave assurance that the agency will treat as highly confidential the identities of persons who give the agency leads and information that will lead to arrest of drug traffickers.
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