NDLEA seized 739,040kg drugs, arrested 8,228 in six months -Report

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency seized not less than 739,040.46kg of illicit drugs between January and June 2024, PUNCH Online has learnt.

The agency also arrested 8,228 (7,330 males, 898 females) drug traffickers; 2,554 (2,436 males, 118 females) cases charged to court, and 1,823 (1,699 males, 124 females) convictions secured within the period.

It also noted that 3,340 (3,002 males, 338 females) were counselled, 603 people (593 males, 10 females) rehabilitated, 792,065 (430,103 males, 361,962 females) were enlightened and 72.75 hectares of farms were destroyed during the period under review.

These figures were contained in data obtained exclusively by PUNCH Online from the agency.

A breakdown of the data revealed that 257,407.83kg of cannabis, 194.13kg of cocaine, 200.02kg of heroin, 142.86kg of methamphetamine, 7,784.86kg of Tramadol, 39.50kg of Rohypnol, 283,948.38kg of codeine, 952.76 kg of diazepam, and 5,719.27kg other illicit drugs were seized from January to June.

It also noted that 182,650.85kg of cannabis farms were destroyed within the period.

The report revealed that 1,317 (1,190 males, 127 females) were arrested in January; 1,427 (1,247 males, 180 females) arrested in February; 1,585 (1,395 males, 190 females) arrested in March; 1,022 (918 males, 104 females) arrested in April; 1,627 (1,464 males, 163 females) arrested in May and 1,250 (1,116 males, 134 females) were arrested in June.

The agency disclosed that 364 (349 males, 15 females) cases were charged to court in January; 441 (416 males, 25 females) cases in February; 551 (520 males, 31 females) cases in March; 448 (431 males, 17 females) cases in April; 386 (374 males, 12 females) cases in May and 364 (346 males, 18 females) cases charged to court in June.

It also indicated that 330 convictions (308 males, 22 females) were secured in January; 354 convictions (316 males, 17 females) in February; 333 convictions (316 males, 17 females) in March; 263 convictions (251 males, 12 females) in April; 318 convictions (287 males, 31 females) in May; and 225 convictions (209 males, 16 females) secured in June.

Recently, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said the Federal Executive Council approved $1.442bn to procure arms, ammunition, and equipment for NDLEA.

The new purchase is meant to boost the agency’s anti-narcotics operations nationwide.

According to the minister, the council also approved N1.9bn for the purchase of 33 CNG-compliant vehicles and the sum of N985m for the procurement of two full-body scanners for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

On Tuesday, the Chairman of the agency, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd.), said recent training of the agency’s marine command officers in diving would discourage large shipments of cocaine to Nigeria.

Marwa stated this while receiving a report of the training from the agency’s Director of Seaports Operations, Deputy Commander General of Narcotics, Omolade Faboyede.

This was contained in a statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, in Abuja, on Tuesday.

He said the new capability would send a strong message to international drug cartels that they had no place to hide their illicit consignments on any ship or vessel coming to Nigeria.