From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Benue State Command, said it has arrested 41 suspected drug offenders and secured seven convictions in the state between March and April 2024 alone.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, Philemon Saror disclosed this while speaking to newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Makurdi on Tuesday.
Saror said the command also has seized 0.187kg of psychotopic substances (tramadol), 0.055 kg of Glutathione and 16 litres of monkey tails and carried out 24 sensitization programmes referred to War Against Drugs Abuse (WADA) at different locations in the State.
He regretted that the younger ones are joining the queue of drug consumption thereby increasing the demand for illicit drug consumption in the State.
He therefore assured that the command will not relent on its duty but will continue to do their best to suppress the situation to the barest minimum level.
In a break down of the arrests and seizures during the period under review, Mr. Saror explained that, in the Month of March 2024, the command arrested six suspects, five male and one female, and seized 0.187kg of tramadol while two convictions were secured .
“We did sensitization programme in Mbayior Secondary School Gboko Local Government Area of the state did another with the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, Banue State Action Committee on Aids, (BENSACA) you and Katsina-Ala LG secretariat for their staff.
“Some of the sensitisation programmes were done in Wadata, North bank area of Makurdi and Otukpo within the Month of March.
“For the month of April 2024, we have arrested 31 males, four females, totalling 35. We also seized 0.055 kg of Glutathione and 16 litres of monkey tails.
“We had five convictions, filed another seven new cases. Under the Drugs Demand Reduction(DDR), we have 13 interventions, those arrested and counseled by the DDR officers are released.
He disclosed that the command has rehabilitated quite number of people who were caught in the act of drug abuse.
“Right now, we have some of them in our facility who are undergoing rehabilitations. It is my advice that members of the society should stay off illicit drug while parents should monitor their children closely.
“I know that it is not easy to monitor kids these days more so that many families are also hungry. While they are out there looking for what to eat, the children are out there doing what they know how to do best. At the end of the day, parents don’t bother what their children do outside.
“Therefore, my candid advice is that people should stay off drugs, whether you are taking it or selling it because one day the law would catch up with you.
He commended the chairman of NLDEA Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd) for recruiting up to 10,000 personnel, saying the Benue command can now boost of adequate manpower compare to what it used to be in the past.