Loading ...By Yakubu Salisu A, Kano
The National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kano Command, said it has seized hard drugs in the state weighing about 10 tons from January to December.
The Commander, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu made the disclosure Thursday during a press conference organized by the command to highlight achievements recorded by the Agency under the year in review.
According to Adamu, the command has succeeded in combating the high prevalence of cases of drug abuse in Kano through strategic measures adopted to checkmate the activities of those who who are in the business of supplying such drugs to the state.
Drugs seized under the year in review includes; Cannabis Sativa 1,697.744Kg, 27.7grms of cocaine, 10.9grms of Heroine as well as Psychotropic Substances such Codeine, Tramadol, Diazepam, Pentazocine as well as Rephynol weighing about 10 tons all together.
Also, the Commander further disclosed that a total of 502 suspects consisting 497 males and 5 females have so far been arrested within the year 2018 with some charged to court while others who are patients are undergoing rehabilitation at the command’s rehabilitation center.
He however lamented on some lacunas in the Act that empowers them to persecute which has led them to lose cases in the court as some of the Psychotropic Substances abused, are not clearly mentioned in the Act which has been the ground used by some judges to free suspects.
“ Some of the Psychotropic Substances are not mentioned in the Act, when we charge some suspects to court with such cases, Judges are forced to free them because its not stated in the act that such persons be prosecuted.
At the moment, the Agency at the National level has submitted a bill for amendments in order to include such Substances abused to allow us have the power to persecute persons who supply such products”
The Commander applauds the efforts of the state government and the Kano Emirate in the fight against drug abuse among youths in Kano which has tremendously yielded positive results as the rate of crimes associated with drug abuse in the state has drastically reduced.
Ibrahim called on parents, teachers and other stakeholders not to relent in educating the young ones on the dangers of engaging in drug abuse as well as supplying such drugs so as to have a society free of crimes and produce responsible youths who would pilot the affairs of the nation in the future.
Furthermore, he said, the command under his leadership, would adopt the proactive approach in combating the menace rather than the reactive method, that the command would work hard to flush out those supplying such hard drugs to the state and ensure all loop holes used by drug Barron are blocked.
