By Amaechi Okwara, Asaba
Delta state Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Dennis Obiefule, yesterday, said the command has arrested 250 drug barons with 6,844 cannabis and 2.09kg of cocaine in the state.
Obiefule lamented the shortage of personnel, equipment and funds to effectively carry out the fight against illicit drugs in the state.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the indigenous correspondents chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South local government area of the state, the commander said the agency has five commands manned by 84 personnel, including cleaners with two operational vehicles for the 25 local government areas of the state.
Obiefule said the lack of funds among others had greatly affected their operations in the state and called on government to focus on the fight against illicit drugs holistically to be able to address the issue of social vices and militancy in the country.
According to him, “there is no way you can fight insecurity without addressing the issues of illicit drugs. Delta State is notorious in the cultivation of illicit drugs. It is a major issue in the state and the worst is that the people don’t seem to appreciate the dangerous effect of drugs.”
The commander revealed that from January to November this year, the agency arrested no fewer than 200 male and 50 female suspects with 6,844 cannabis of, 2.09 kg of cocaine, 22.2 gm of heroine while it secured 19 convictions, destroyed 4.2 hectares of cannabis farm, 1.0 hectare of cannabis within the period.
He said some of the strategies the agency has introduced in the country was the introduction of visa clearance in collaboration with some embassies in the country.
The command is currently occupying a dilapidated and defunct Social Democratic Party building in Ogwashi-Uku, the Aniocha South headquarters.
