The Bauchi State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared that the State is turning into a den of illicit drugs like Cocaine and Metaphytamine, thereby making the fight against hard drugs more fierce.
The declaration was made by the State Commandant of NDLEA, Segun Oke, in Bauchi, the state capital, at the launch of War Against Drug Abuse.
According to him, there was the need for all stakeholders to rally round the campaign against illicit drugs in the state with a view to having a free drug abuse society.
“In the course of our operations, we have intercepted drugs, popular drugs like Canabis Sativa, Tramadol, cough mixtures with Codeine and recently we have began to see indications that Cocaine, Metaphytamine are coming into Bauchi State,” Oke disclosed.
He submitted that the stakeholders’ meeting was aimed at getting meaningful inputs from critical stakeholders on how to join hands with the Agency in securing the society from the activities of drug peddlers.
While displaying assorted illicit drugs seized across the state, Oke declared that NDLEA was on the neck of drug peddlers as the agency was not giving any breathing space for drug abuse in the State.
He disclosed that operatives of the agency operate across the state, adding that they were on roads, especially entry points into the state and black spots where people go to abuse drugs.
Oke, therefore, appealed to families, stakeholders, religious bodies, including mosques and churches, to sensitize members of the society on the evil of drugs abuse.
Meanwhile, the Bauchi State government has assured of its readiness to support the anti-drugs agency for it to succeed in the fight against the menace of drug abuse in the state.
The state governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, gave the assurance at the launch of the war against drug abuse, submitting that drug abuse is a worrisome development in every society.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, General Marcus Yake (rtd), the governor said drugs abuse was one of the main causes of social vices in the society.
“Anybody involved in drugs, the next tendency is for such person to commit evil act and that is why we are having insecurity today in our society,” Governor Mohammed declared.
He commended the NDLEA for organising the stakeholders’ meeting, which he said was a good step towards fighting drug abuse not only in the state but also in the country and submitted that the task of fighting drugs menace was everybody’s business.
“This interactive session is very good because it has accorded all the stakeholders the opportunity to make necessary contributions towards the fight against the menace, though NDLEA is the leader in the fight against drug abuse,” the governor said.
He noted that holistic approach had to be adopted in the fight against the menace of drug abuse, adding that the problem ought to be tackled from its root.
“The fight can be achieved when those that either farm the drugs or the main dealers and not the consumers only are arrested and prosecuted. That is fighting the menace from the roots,” he submitted.
Governor Mohammed, however, called for synergy among various agencies involved in the fight against drug abuse, including detecting, identifying, reporting, prosecuting and punishing offenders.