The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 277 suspected drug traffickers and impounded 2, 003.672kg assorted illicit drugs from January to date in Kano State, the state NDLEA Commandant, Mr Garba Ahmadu, said in Kano on Friday.
According to the commandant, out of the total number of those arrested by the command, four were females while the remaining 273 were males.
Ahmadu spoke while briefing newsmen as part of activities to commemorate the 2015 International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking. It is a day set aside by the United Nations with the aim of redoubling effort in the fight against the use of illicit drugs.
The theme for this year’s International Day is ‘Let’s develop our lives, our communities, our identities without drugs’.
The commandant said that compared with data available within the last three years, Kano’s status as one of the major cities where drugs are abused is gradually reducing.
Out of the illicit drugs confiscated by the agency during the period under review, according to the commandant, cannabis sativa, ranks the highest with 1, 327.283kg, psychotropic substances stood at 676.252kg, cocaine 90.5grammes while the quantity of heroine seized by the agency stood at 46.1 grammes.
He added that out of the 277 suspects arrested, 125 have undergone brief intervention and counseling with 11 of them referred back to their parents after six months on comprehensive and intensive counseling.
Ahmadu in a further breakdown of the agency’s activities in the state, explained that 18 suspects are undergoing counseling and rehabilitation, 83 have been convicted, 83 cases filed before the Kano Federal High Court, while others are awaiting conviction due to the ill-health of the Chief Judge.
He also said that with the help of a special Committee established at the instance of Kano state government, NDLEA in Kano has greatly reduced the activities of drug users and traffickers in the state.
“You are aware that the state government established a special committee comprising of officers of NDLEA, Police, Army, Civil Defence, Hisbah, SSS and other security and Para-military agencies.
“This collaboration is helpful and we have been able to dislodge this hoodlums in their major areas such as Kofar Naisa, Sharada, Darmanawa, Rijiyar Lemo, Dorayi Primary School, Sabon Gari, NNPC DepotKiwo Lambu, Gandu Albasa, Gidan Zoo, Rumfa College, Kabo town, Kachako town, Ungwa Uku motor park, New Road motor park, Mariri, Yan ITYACE, Wudil town, Durban sai town, Tudun Wada, Gezawa town, Plaza Fagge and Rimin Gado.”
According to him, proactive measures were taken by the agency before the 2015 general elections, so as to bring the rate of consumption of illicit drugs, particularly, among the youths who were used as political thugs, “and it worked for us as the mop up exercise we did was able to control the rate of drug consumption in the state.
“You know that usually, during festive periods like Sallah, Christmas and even during elections; what the drug traffickers do is to bring in the substances one or two weeks before time; so what we did was to take the war to where cannabis, especially, is being cultivated.
“We had what we call operation-weed-eater in Ondo and Edo states where large farms of cannabis were destroyed. Officers from Kano here were temporally redeployed to those hot states for that operation; and it paid off because when we succeeded in destroying the source, the traffickers would have less or nothing to bring into the states.”
He said that said from January to April, 83 of the suspects have been convicted while 83 pending cases are before the Federal High Court in Kano, adding that 18 of the suspects were currently undergoing counseling and rehabilitation while 125 had received brief intervention.
He said, “We have 11 drug users who were referred by their parents for counseling and rehabilitation but would be discharged after three to six months.
“We have also impounded cannabis Sativa worth over N66 million and Psychotropic substance valued at over N67 million, in addition to Heroin and Cocaine also valued at over N1.2 million.”
