The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, has arrested 280 suspects for alleged trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs between January and August.
The NDLEA Commander in the state, Olayinka Joe-Fadile, disclosed this on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.
Joe-Fadile stated that the arrested suspects included 246 males and 34 females, aged between 13 and 50 years. He also said that the command secured 43 convictions during the period under review. According to him, some of the suspects were found in possession of narcotics, while others were interdicted for dealing in substances like cannabis sativa, tramadol, “skuches,” cocaine, pentazocine injection, and diazepam.
According to him, a total number of 38 cases were charged to court by the command during the period under review and are at different stages of court proceedings.
He revealed that the command recorded a total seizure of 1.2 tonnes of cannabis sativa and other psychotropic substances during this period.
Joe-Fadile said that a suspect who was apprehended by the command and found in possession of human parts by the patrol team had been transferred to the police for proper investigation.
“The command has admitted 19 clients for rehabilitation, four of whom had been rehabilitated and integrated back to society, while 524 persons were counselled in the last eight months,” he said.
He added that the command had conducted a War Against Drug Abuse sensitization program in 141 locations, including schools, communities, marketplaces, motor parks, churches, mosques, radio, and TV stations.
The commander vowed to continue public sensitization on the dangers of illicit drug trafficking in order to make the state drug-free.
He commended the people of the state for their support and further solicited their continued cooperation in order to win the war against drug trafficking and abuse and ensure a peaceful environment in the state
