By Salisu Waziri, Taraba.
As Nigeria joins in the commemoration of this year’s International Day Against Drugs Abuse, the Taraba State Command of the National Drugs Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized Cannabis Sativa and psychotropic substance weighing 394.415kg from January to June 2021.
The Taraba State Commander of the (NDLEA) Jadi Suleiman, who spoke to newsmen in a Press Conference in Jalingo to commemorate the day, noted that the Command through the Federal High Court has secured a total of eight convictions and have one hundred and thirty five suspects in the state.
” The low figure of the convictions is due to the over three months industrial action by judicial workers, we are determined to secure more convictions with the resumption of court activities”
The NDLEA Commander also revealed that the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the Command has successfully counseled drugs addicts and carried out anti drug abuse awareness campaign and enlightenment Programmes in schools, Market Places, Motor Parks and Hospitals in Taraba State.
The Commander who also identified unemployment among young people as the driving force for drug abuse in the Country, noted that out of the over ten million Nigerians who abuse drugs, 80 percent of the population are youth from the age range of 19-45 who abuse drugs in the country.
” It is imperative now more than ever for the Command in Taraba State to have a standard rehabilitation center to enable the state benefit from the memorandum of understanding that is already in place between (NDLEA) and National Directorate of Employment(NDE) which enables rehabilitated drug dependant persons benefits and acquire skill/training from (NDE) free of charge, but currently Taraba State is not benefitting from the Programmes due to lack of rehabilitation facilities in the NDLEA Center in the State”
He called on the state government to provide an enabling office accommodation at the state headquarters to enable the command carries out necessary activities for drug education and rehabilitation in the state.
The theme for this year’s 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is ” share Fact on drugs, Save Lives”.
