The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), Kwara state command has arrested 225 suspected drug traffickers and seized over 809kg of illicit drugs between January and June this year.
The acting state Commander of the agency, Odewale Adebinpe disclosed this while addressing Newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State to commemoration 2023-United Nations Drug Free Day “theme-People First: Stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention” .
She said during the period the command had secured 57 convictions, consealed ninety nine inmates while thirty nine cases are still pending in court.
Adepinpe explained further that the slow pace of criminal justice system and the reluctance of some judicial officers to visit the full wrath of the law on offenders had been a set back in counter narcotics efforts in the country.
She expressed worry over the involvement of students of institutions of higher learning in drug abuse.
The NDLEA Commander explained that the command is conducting an intelligence-led operational activities to reverse the trend in addition to various advocacy and enlightenment measures put in place.
Adepinpe called on the state government and other stakeholders to support the agency for it to reduce drug abuse and Trafficking to it’s bearest minimum.
In her address the chairperson, Kwara state Drug Control Committee, Pharmacist, Barakat Olanrewaju called for collaboration of all stakeholders in the fight against drug abuse.
She also appealed to parents to have interest in the activities of their children to prevent them from joining bad group.
In her remark the President, National Council for women Society(NCWS) Hajiya Zainab Audu, urged government to provide enabling environment for employment generation for the teaming youths to descourage them from drug addiction.
