The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday, says the prevalence
of illicit drugs and trafficking is threatening the fundamentals of good society.
The NDLEA Commander, Kaduna State Command, Mr Umar Adoro, said this after a walk by the command
to celebrate 2022 UN Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking in Kaduna.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day is annually marked on June 26 to strengthen
action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises’’.
The NDLEA commander, who said that some children were no longer under the control of their parents due to
the influence of illicit drugs, added that “ethical values are disappearing in our society, all due to illicit drugs abuse and
trafficking.”
He appealed to government, parents, religious and political leaders and other stakeholders to unite
against illicit drug abuse and trafficking to collectively fight the menace.
Adoro said “we have taken 10 major drug barons out of circulation, many more are on our watch list and we
are closing in on them. We are also removing their foot soldiers from the street.
“In 2021, we arrested 12,306 offenders across the country and 1,385 of them were convicted; from January to May, we
arrested 5,341, out of which, 984 convicted already.
“During these five months, we seized 154,667.339 kilogrammes of drugs and destroyed 276 hectares of cannabis
farms in deep forests across the country.
“What is heartwarming to us in that NDLEA is the change we observed in the dynamics of society’s response to
illicit drug matters over the past 17 months,’’ he added.
NAN reports that as part of event marking the international Day Against drug and illicit trafficking, the agency had a
road walk, and a drama presented by Actors Guild of Nigeria, Kaduna State chapter.
