BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
THE Osun State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) on Friday said it had arrested 253 drug suspects in the state.
The Osun NDLEA commander, Samuel Egbeola, in a statement made available to The POINT on Saturday revealed that the agency also seized 385.539 kilogrammes of different illicit substances.
The suspects, arrested in the last one year, were made up of 240 males and 13 females, while only four have been convicted and about 30 cases pending in court.
The NDLEA boss noted that the different illicit substances consisted of cannabis sativa, tramadol, and rohypnol, among others.
Egbeola said the Command also destroyed 10.050 hectares of cannabis farms and counselled 167 drug users between June 2020 and June this year.
While marking the 2021 United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Egbeola noted that the feats achieved were made possible through the assistance of several stakeholders.
He said, “Number one of this list is the state government and other stakeholders in the state. We remain grateful and we solicit for more of this assistance.
“The international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking or world drug day is marked on 26th June every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving the goal of a world free of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
“It is a day to share research findings, evidence-based data and lifesaving facts and to continue tapping into a shared spirit of solidarity.
“Each year, a theme is selected by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC. The theme for this year is ‘Share the Facts on Drug and Save Lives.'”
“This theme highlights the notion and misinformation that have been going on about drugs and the need to share the facts and save lives. During this period, we also look at our activities from the last celebration to date,” the NDLEA Commander said.
