This year’s International Day against Drugs Abuse brings to fore the new dimension of the crime as BAYO UMAR writes.
June 26 every year, is the United Nations International Day against drug abuse and illicit drug trade and had been observed annually since 1989 in line with the General Assembly Resolution 42/112 of 7 December, 1987.
The day is often referred to by anti-drugs campaigners as 6/26 with the theme: ‘Health for Justice; Justice for health’.
In Ilorin, Kwara state, activities that marked the week-long programmes commenced on Wednesday June 19, 2019 with a press briefing through which stakeholders were informed about the menace of drug abuse in the state. It also turned out be an eye opener to the plights of the Kwara command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Plights of agency
A light shower which ordinarily should not have any negative effect on the event of the day, unfortunately further exposed the pathetic condition in which operatives of the command work every day in carrying out their duties to their mother land.
This came to the fore when the command’s personnel have to quickly evacuate guests from where they were seated to another part of the hall so that they would not be soaked from the rain dropping on them through the walls of the conference room.
The ugly incident caused a stir as guests at the events were shocked to see rain dropping from the wall of the conference room directly on their heads.
The experience of the day further prompted journalists to find out more about the challenges faced by the command only to discover that what they saw earlier was a tip of iceberg.
The story is therefore that of a rehabilitating agency which also needs to be rehabilitated first before it can perform its core mandate of rehabilitating and counselling drug dependants.
Challenges
Asked about the challenges militating against effective performance of the command, the commander, Barr Emmanuel Dandi responded, “We are the most underfinanced agency in Nigeria and we are one of the most performing agency in the country.”
For instance, he recalled that during the just-concluded general elections, money were budgeted for others security agencies in the country without consideration for the NDLEA.
He regretted that most of the time when the command wants to carry out its operation, it was left with no option than to beg for money in order to carry out the operation.
Corroborating the commander, the agency’s assistant director, Legal Services and Prosecution, Barrister Muinat Adeleye, said the command, apart from being underfunded, also lacks personnel.
She said the success recorded by the command are feats being achieved by only 81 staff in the entire command which also has seven area commands.
She added that the command can only boast of one operational vehicle as operatives in most cases put their vehicles on the road to carry out official function without any compensation for any damage on their vehicles.
Breakthrough
Against all odds, however, the command had recorded some major breakthrough and successfully prosecuted 29 persons in five convictions recorded between July 2018 and June 2019.
The offenders were amongst the 91 suspects arrested for drugs-related offences between July 2018 and June 2019.
The command, during the period under review, also recorded a total drug seizure of 4,290.471 kilograms of cannabis Sativa and other drugs.
Emmanuel said out of the 91 persons arrested, 15 persons were counselled against the use of drugs while five drug dependants persons were successfully rehabilitated and re-united with their family.
Giving a breakdown of the major breakthrough recorded, he said out of the 91 persons arrested, 77 were male while 14 were female.
On the drug seizure, the NDLEA boss said a total of 4,213.45 kilogrammes of cannabis were seized and 76.825 kilogrammes of other drugs with tramadol being the largest seizure among other drugs recorded.
In the area of sensitisation against drug abuse, he said, ‘‘The command is in partnership with state drug control committee in the area off sensitisation and advocacy programmes in the state. We commend the efforts of the committee. Kwara state drug control committee is a typical reflection of the saying that, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’. The committee against all financial obstacles became the best among its contemporaries in Nigeria.
‘‘According to UNDOC report, the Kwara committee has been selected to be a pilot standing committee for the entre North central states and the FCT. It means they will learn from Kwara. The feat is worth celebrating and in recognition of the state government’s efforts on drug control.”
The return of Tramadol
Despite the agency’s effort at riding the society off drug abuse and its attendant’s consequences, it is not yet uhuru for Nigeria and Kwara in particular as more revelations were made about the new dimensions the menace is taking.
According to Adeleye, for Kwara NDLEA, Tramadol which had been banned from being imported into the country, is being packaged in another form and imported into the country in a different brand name.
She said the command uncovered the plot when it submitted the suspected drug to the agency’s laboratory for test only to confirm that it was Tramadol packaged in another form.
The accomplice
Answering another question on the level of compliance of speaking in the same vein, the commander regretted that pharmaceutical companies and those who thrive on such illegal businesses have been a great accomplice in this regards.
Mr Emmanuel said, ‘‘There is no place in this state that we cannot penetrate except if they are not selling drugs.’’ He however regretted that the command does not have the logistics and man power to match those dealing in such illicit business.
His submission was corroborated by the assistant director legal services and prosecution who recalled an instance when the command, late last year, had to pay the sum of N400, 000 to informants to get information before it could intercept 4 tons of compressed cannabis being smuggled into Nigeria from some neighbouring African countries.
She regretted that the command could only raised money with the help of the state government to pay for only two trucks while the where about of the remaining one was still on unknown.
Children’s sudden love for flower
Also speaking, the spokesperson of the state drug control committee, Ade Bodunde, advised parents to watch out for plants being grown around their premises especially by gardeners and security guards.
He said, ‘‘When your child is becoming close to your gatemen, gardner and those in the boys quarters, find time to go round and see the kind of plants they grow around your compound. Watch out for your children who develop sudden love for flower,’’ he said.
He advised parents to be weary of some non conventional drugs consumed by youths which gives them the same effects.
These according to him, included the sniffing of rubber solution, petrol, toilet and brown pawpaw leaves.
Governor’s admonition
In his message to commemorate this year’s activities, the state governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRasq, urged parents and civil societies to join global effort to combat the menace.
“On this International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, I call on parents, groups and religious organisations to key into the global campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
“While we remain committed to building a conducive environment for socio-economic and human capital development, I urge our young people to shun the use of hard drugs. Drug abuse is a window to crime and a waste of precious talents with devastating consequences for national growth.
“Anyhow it is viewed, drug abuse and illicit trade are a threat to national development and human existence.”
Message of hope
The chairperson of the state drug control committee, Pharmacist Barakat Olanrewaju, who spoke through Grace Aliyu said the nation can still be salvaged if all hands are on deck
‘‘We appeal to stakeholders to and government at all levels to support the efforts of drug control genuinely. The extent and pattern of drug abuse among youths in the state is worrisome. However, we can do something together to control incidences of drug abuse occasioned by lack of information on the dangers inherent in the wrong practice which has become the order of the day. The message of hope is that drug abuse is preventable and treatable.
