The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bauchi State Command, in collaboration with the 33rd Artillery Nigerian Army, identified and harvested cannabis farms in the state’s Alkaleri, Darazo, Ningi, and Giade LGAs.
On Monday, June 26, 2023, the State Commander, CN Ali Aminu, announced this to press in his office at the Command Headquarters in Bauchi.
In addition, the command apprehended 372 drug offenders, successfully prosecuted and convicted 103 of them, and 31 other cases are still pending in court, while 73 drug users are being counseled and rehabilitated, the bulk of them are receiving brief preventions.
He stated that the Command has confiscated a total of 1,289.153 kg of various classes of drugs from August 20, 2022.
“It is also worth noting that the Command discovered and harvested a cannabis farm in Digare, Alkaleri LGA, in collaboration with 33Artillery Nigerian Army.” “There are also cannabis farms in Dafa Tuwo Village, Darazo LGA, Tsangayar Njeri, Ningi LGA, and Giade town, Giade LGA,” he said.
Ali Aminu, who was holding his first press conference since taking office as the substantive State Commander of the NDLEA in Bauchi state Command on August 4th, 2022, stated that the briefing coincided with the commemoration of the 2023 International Day Against Drug/Substance Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, which is held every year on June 26th.
“It is no longer news that the world is under attack from the threat of illicit substance abuse and trafficking.” Nigeria is no different. The theme for this year is “People First; Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen, Prevention,” which supports the “whole-of-society approach to taming the drug scourge.”
He then asked Nigerians to avoid stigmatizing drug users and discourage them from getting treatment, a trend that has major socioeconomic ramifications for individuals and their families.
“Stigmatization and discrimination make recovery and reintegration difficult for drug addicts who seek treatment.” And the predominance of such an attitude undermines the effort, time, and resources committed by governments, institutions, and stakeholders seeking to manage the drug problem,” he said.
“The theme is especially pertinent to the Nigerian situation at the moment,” he continued. I urge society to end the stigma that hinders drug users from seeking treatment, a trend that has major socioeconomic consequences for individuals and their families.”
“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is the lead Agency in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA),” he says. However, the Agency cannot win the War on its own. It is up to all of us, individuals, state governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), schools, religious bodies, and sister security agencies, to raise awareness and share information about the cancerous threat of illicit substance abuse and trafficking to our people, immediate environment, and nation. As the saying goes, “if you are not infected, you are affected.”
Ali Aminu then praised the NDLEA’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), for repositioning the Agency and instilling a fresh passion in its staff to fight the scourge of illicit drug addiction and trafficking.
He also took the opportunity to thank Bauchi State Governor Sen. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed for his great interest and enormous logistical support provided to the State Command in the fight against illicit drug addiction and trafficking.
Mismob Media