The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was established to enforce the use of drugs in Nigeria. However, with the proliferation of drugs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and other parts of the country, PAUL OKAH asks if the agency is on course.
The greatest headache of governments, school authorities and parents is how to curb the menace of drug abuse in society as individuals, students and even little children are now known to freely use different types of proscribed narcotics or hard drugs “just to get high.”
Be it in Lagos, Kano, Imo, or Kaduna, the drugs including codeine, marijuana, cocaine and other hard drugs are illegally sold to consumers in secret places, whereas they are abused, leading to little children being as more daring and unafraid of even speaking to elders or disrespecting constituted authorities, as a result of being intoxicated. Worse still, the proliferation of drugs in the FCT, despite being illegal, is said to be fuelling insecurity as many users opt to undertake tasks they arguably wouldn’t do without being under the influence of drugs, including armed robbery, murder, among others.
The development has also led to questions about the duties of the NDLEA; whether the agency is living up to its name as the arrest of suspects, destruction of seized drugs and even jailing of some culprits appear not to be achieving the desired objectives. Furthermore, were the situation to be restricted to other parts of the country, it would have been a different ball game, but, if the FCT, the seat of power, can be harbouring so many users of hard drugs, the concerns ought to be raised.
Drugs take over Lagos
On August 19, the NDLEA uncovered a 40ft container loaded with tramadol and other banned drugs at the Brawal terminal in Lagos, just few days after police detectives in Apapa Area Command had intercepted a 40-foot container laden with drugs suspected to be tramadol and codeine on August 6.
A statement by the NDLEA head of public affairs, Mr. Jonah Achema, said the chairman, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (retd.), disclosed this in Abuja. Abdallah said the seizure followed a recent one made by the police of a 40ft container loaded with cartons of brushes, cartons of tramadol and other banned drugs.
According to Abdallah, NDLEA’s investigation further revealed another 40 foot container, adding that this joint examination also revealed 255 cartons of different types of tramadol and other banned medicines.
“The NDLEA investigation further revealed that the tramadol was manufactured in Pakistan, which is a new discovery to the agency because previous tramadol seized were manufactured in India. I must say that this is of global interest. Drug trafficking is one of the vices fueling insecurity across the country. And knowing that these tramadol were concealed behind boxes of brushes, it has called for more concern,” he said.
Adamawa
Similarly, on August 17, while addressing newsmen in Yola, the NDLEA Commander in Adamawa, Mr. Idris Bello, said that it had arrested 21 suspects in possession of illicit substances weighing 60.99 kg in August, comprising 18 males and three females.
“It may interest you to note that even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, the drug dealers have not had a rethink in their nefarious activities. As a result, 21 suspects comprising 18 males and three females were arrested with 60.99 kg of illicit drugs within the month of August, 2020.
“The most disheartening revelation in the course of our raids is the recurring demography of the arrested suspects for the past months. They are between 18 to 50 years age bracket, which falls within the nation’s workforce population.
“The Command is taking Drug Abuse Prevention Education (DAPE) to all nooks and crannies of the state, targeting the most vulnerable population. The Command thanked the state government for giving necessary impetus and logistics to the agency as well as other sister agencies, for their immense support,” Bello said.
Plateau
Also, on August 11, the Plateau state Command of the NDLEA publicly destroyed 16,697.639 kilogrammes of hard drugs seized in the state. Speaking at the event, the chairman and chief executive of the agency, retired Col. Muhammad Abdallah, said the destroyed illicit drugs were seized in the last four years in the state.
He said the destroyed drugs included Cannabis Sativa, Psychotropic substances and Cocaine, adding that the destruction underscored the collective opposition by populace to nefarious activities.
“Today, we are gathered to publicly destroy 16, 697.639 kilogrammes of Illicit substances seized by our command here in Plateau. I consider this quantity of drugs to be frightening, compared to the population of the state and this leaves us without doubt that there is high demand for drugs in the state.
“With the number we are destroying today, the agency has destroyed over 167, 436.69 kilograms of drugs from January to date in the country
This public destruction to us is the triumph of good over evil and it underscores our collective opposition to nefarious activities of a few who are determined to ruin the lives of others and polluting our communities.
“Recent research shows that illicit drugs use in Nigeria has reached a pandemic proportion. It is worrisome to know that the menace has permeated every facet of the society. So, we need to double our efforts for very obvious reason. As an agency, we shall not rest on our oars to arrest the ugly situation,” he said.
Lalong’s concerns
Conducting the public destruction, Governor Simon Lalong promised to support NDLEA and other security agencies to check peddling and consumption of illicit drugs in the state.
Lalong, who attributed the insecurity in the state and other parts of country to drug abuse, warned that peddlers and consumers of hard drugs, when arrested would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
“Today, many of the security challenges that we are confronted with such as kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, cult activities, rape and other associated problems such as road accident are linked to consumption of Illicit drugs.
“This is why my administration is committed to ensuring that the efforts of NDLEA are strengthened toward frustrating and halting the activities of drug peddlers in the state. With the collaboration of all security agencies and the citizens of the state, we have worked assiduously to reduce to the barest level the recurring drug induced and other drivers of criminality and insecurity in the state.
“I wish to warn all miscreants and criminal elements that under my watch, Plateau shall use the resources and instruments available to decisively deal with anyone found threatening the peace of our people.
“Like I have always maintained, traditional, religious and community leaders have a very crucial role to play in ensuring the security of lives and property of the people. I, therefore, expect them to rise to the occasion by exposing criminal elements within their communities to assist government to end this scourge and maintain peace,” he said.
The FCT
Furthermore, on August 10, the NDLEA, FCT Commander, Mr. Lawan Hamisu, said it seized 3,546.632 kilograms of hard drugs from January to July, comprising Cannabis sativa, Cocaine, Tramadol, Exol, Rophynol and Diazepam in a coordinated operation across the Territory.
He said the operatives of the Command within the period also arrested 205 suspects comprising of 180 males and 25 females, recalling that April and June was the period of lockdown due to Covid-19 as that clearly slowed down the level of operations in the FCT. He, however, noted that the agency had been working as much as possible to operate within the safety protocol as directed by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“This is actually what account for the number to be this slightly low but it is still a worrisome development,” he said.
“These 10 really wanted an intervention and we are glad to say that some are with us for three months and six months respectively. They have been discharged because they are working class and they have to return back to their work.
“At the moment, we are on the follow up and aftercare monitoring and services. I will say that is how far we have gone with the rehabilitation process in FCT,” he said.
He advised parents to pay closer attention to their wards and children to see what they were doing at home, who their close friends are especially now that they are at home.
Covid-19’s influence
Interestingly, on July 27, the NDLEA, Lagos state, Commander, Mr. Ralph Igwenagu, said the coronavirus disease was not a deterrent to the Agency’s war against illicit drug peddlers. He said the Command had adopted new strategies to nip in the bud the activities of drug peddlers in the state amid the Covid-19 pandemic anxiety.
According to him, the agency has provided its officials with necessary Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), to enable them to carry out their duties without fear of contracting the virus. “My assessment of the command on arrest and seizures is that there is tremendous improvement, even on persecutions,” he said.
“No fewer than 180 drug users are currently going through rehabilitation in the command. The command has also secured the conviction of over 156 suspected drug dealers, now serving different terms of imprisonment in the state.”
Lamentations
On August 21, the NDLEA in Borno state destroyed drugs and psychotropic substances weighing over 19 tonnes. Speaking during the exercise in Maiduguri, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha (retd.), said the quantity was unacceptably high considering the link between drug abuse and violent crimes in the state.
Mustapha said the drug situation of the state was compounded by its proximity to the neighbouring countries of Sahel comprising Niger, Chad and Cameroon, due to its porous borders. He said the symbolic event was significant to ensure that all seized drugs are permanently out of circulation and stopped from doing any further harm to the society.
“The Act establishing drug agency demands that an order must be granted by a Federal High Court which enables the agency to destroy publicly all the drug seizure cases that had been concluded. Following the court order, we are gathered to destroy a gross drug of 19.234.58 kilogramme, made up of cannabis sativa, and other variety of psychotropic substances.”
He lamented that the number of drugs seizures, arrest and conviction of drug dealers in the state, validated the position of hard drugs as a conflict stimulator that fuels, violent crimes, cultism in campuses and even domestic violence.
“Currently, the vulnerable groups that had expanded include; teenage girls, young women and even old married women who are ordinarily mothers of our children that are expected to be the custodians of nurturing of our children into responsible adult.”
He lamented that over 4.2 million Nigerians abused all forms of psychotropic substances.
“It is for this reasons that the federal government is focusing on a new drug programme on the New National Security Strategy as part of the efforts to forestall the menace of insecurity confronting the country,” he said.
According to him, New Policy Initiatives are underway to ensure that the country overcome the problems of illicit trafficking and drug abuse.
He said: “As an extension of the proposed Drugs Integrity Test Policy in the public service, the NDLEA is also considering partnering with religious leaders to make drug test a prerequisite for marriage in Churches and Mosques just as the case of HIV/AIDS and genotype test.
“We can no longer remain indifferent to the problems and refused to take responsibility in an effort to control drugs, we must come to term that drugs issue is a shared responsibility for all in the society.
“Government at all levels, community and religious leaders, parents, social workers, the media, youth organisations and policy makers should see it as a point of duty to come together and identify with our office efforts of combating drug abuse.”
Zulum’s worries
In his remarks, Governor Zulum said the large quantity of drug seized by the agency was a matter of great concern, recalling that recent media report has shown that Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Niger were some of the states with highest numbers of cases of drug abuse in the country.
He said: “These are our children and future leader of our great country. Urgent steps must be taken to save the future of our state and safeguard our children to become meaningful individuals in the society.
“The second vices are not limited to cultism, racketeering, armed robbery as well as the current insurgency that we are facing. The minds of youth under the influence of modified drugs can easily be manipulated by adult to achieve any selfish purpose.”
