President Buhari approves recruitment of 5,000 NDLEA personnel

Muhammad Abdallah, (Rtd) Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the recruitment of 5,000 personnel to boost the agency’s manpower.
Abdallah made the disclosure on Friday at the Public Destruction of Drug Exhibits by Taraba state Command of the NDLEA in Jalingo.
Abdallah said that the gesture would go along way in improving operations of the agency on campaign against drug addiction in Nigeria.
He said that the increase consumption of illicit drugs among the youths in Taraba was worrisome.
The chief executive officer appealed to families to brace up to their responsibilities.
According to him effective drug prevention must involve the positive engagement of children, youth and adults with their families, schools workplace and community.
He commended Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba for his support to the agency in addressing drug problem in the state.
He also commended Mrs Anna Darius, wife of the governor for giving great impetus to the war against drug abuse in the state.
He also thanked the governor for including the NDLEA commandant in the state security council as well as supporting them with operational vehicles.
Abdallah noted that the provision of Hope Afresh Foundation, an NGO owned by the wife of the governor for sensitisation activities against drug abuse was a great boost to anti drug abuse campaign.
Earlier, Mr Peter Odaudu, Acting Commander of the agency in the state said that the agency had assembled seven tones (6,963.755) kilogrammes of deadly weeds and psychotropic substances for the destruction.
Odaudu said that the exhibits were seized between January 2003 and December 2018.
He listed some of the illicit drugs assembled for destruction as Cannabis Sativa, Diazepam, Rophynol, Couph syrups with codeine and Tramadol.
According to him, a court order for their destruction has been duly obtained.
He commended other security agencies in the state for their inter agency cooperation to achieve the success recorded by the NDLEA.
He commended the state government for supporting the agency towards ensuring effective control in consumption of illicit drugs in the state.
He also eulogised the leadership of the agency in its repositioning of the organisation as a leading anti drug agency in Africa and one of the best in the world.
In his remark, Gov. Ishaku noted that drug consumption has increase violence crimes in the state.
The governor said that most arrest by security agencies of perpetrators of violence crimes were youth.
He urged the youth to avoid use of illicit drugs, adding that it was dangerous to their health and the society at large.
urged the agency to collaborate with the office of the First lady to achieve more feat in its mandate of ensuring a drug free society.
Ishaku, who was represented by Alhaji Haruna Many Deputy Governor of the state said that the construction of health centres by the first lady’s foundation for the promotion of sensitisation activities around the three senatorial zones was better platform to adopt by the agency.
He assured the agency of the continues support by the state to eradicate drug abuse.
NAN reports that the exhibits destroyed were valued at billions of Naira.
The event attracted both Federal and state government officials and traditional rulers.