The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday said that Lagos State required a stronger collaboration with the NDLEA to fight the prevalent drug abuse in the state.
The Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, retired Col. Muhammad Abdullah, said this at the public destruction of over 100 tonnes of narcotics in Seme near Badagry in Lagos State.
The narcotics were seized by the formations of NDLEA in Lagos state.
The formations are: the Lagos Command with its headquarters at Ikeja, Ikoyi operational office, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) operational office.
Others are: the Apapa Port, Tincan Island Port and Seme Special Command which is the land border between Nigeria and Benin Republic.
Abdullah said that the United Nations in its 2018 drug survey on Nigeria revealed a high drug prevalence use in Lagos state.
It said that the abuse represented 18 per cent of the total illicit drugs consumed in the country.
“Therefore, the NDLEA craves the indulgence of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for the enhancement of more robust initiatives that will discourage drug abuse in the state.
“Although the state has inaugurated its `Lagos kicks against Drug Abuse’’ (LASKADA) innitiative, more efforts are needed to fight this menace,’’ the NDLEA boss said.
According to him, the drugs publicly destroyed consist of 770.02kg of Cocaine,271.66kg of heroine, 258.06 kg of Meth, 234.96 kg of ephedrine, 27.258 kg of tramadol, 87.47 kg of cannabis and 2.287kg of khat.
The NDLEA boss also said that Ondo State and Edo remained the highest producers of some of the illicit drugs in the country.
He said that there was the need to take urgent steps to resuscitate the country’s cherished value.
He said, “I want parents to extend their parenting beyond their immediate family levels and ensure that children from their communities are properly brought up.”
Also, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State in his address said that the state was ready to support the fight against drug abuse.
The governor, who was represented by the state Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Yaquob Oshoala, said that the state was ready to protect the indigenes using appropriate intelligence.
The Commander of Seme Special Area Command, Mr Udotong Essien, commended the NDLEA boss for remaining resolute in his fight against drug trafficking in the country.
Essien said,“ The personalty behind this great success is our amiable chairman; he is a man of profound intellect, a seasoned lawyer and a sound administrator.
The Lagos Commander of NDLEA , Mr Ralph Igwenagu, said that the command would step-up its public enlightenment programmes.
He said such would be to sensitise the public on the dangers associated with the use of illicit drugs.
“Many enlightenment programmes had been carried out in the past in various schools, markets, religious centres, motor parks among others, but the command will step -up.’’
Igwenagu also expressed the comnand’s appreciation to the members of the public that he said were providing credible information to the command.
