No fewer than 123 persons have been arrested by the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency for various drug-related offenses.
The state commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Haruna Gagara, disclosed this while speaking with journalists on the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Monday in Akure, the state capital.
According to the commander, the arrests were made between January and June this year at different locations in the state.
Giving the breakdown, Gagara said, ” From January to June, a total of 123 suspects comprising 113 males and 10 females were arrested in this command.
” Eleven male defendants were convicted and sentenced to various jail term. Following the arrests, a total seizure of 14,247.16kg of hard drugs and psychotropic substance comprising 13,916.158kg of cannabis sativa, 2.9gramms of cocaine, 3.2gramms of heroine, 8.65kg of tramadol and 333.75 litres of such skuchies, weighing 322.kg, were made.”
The NDLEA boss added, ” A total of four vehicles and two houses used in transportation and storage of illicit drugs respectively were seized. These properties will be forfeited to the Federal Government in due course.
” Over 120 hectares of the illicit farms were destroyed within the period under review and efforts are on top gear to destroy the rest before the criminals harvest them.”
Gagara, however, lamented that the agency was facing series of challenges, particularly in the area of logistics, saying the development had been affecting the fight against drug dealing in the state.
He called on the state government and other stakeholders to come to aid of the agency.
” We are asking for cooperation and supports from the stakeholders to come to our aid in the area of provision of operational vehicles and other logistics to enable us carryout our duties effectively,” the commander appealed .
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