The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kogi command, made a total seizure of 3,433.450 kilogrammes of illicit drugs and arrested 143 suspects in connection with the seizures across the state in 2015.

Alhaji Idris Bello, commander of the agency in Kogi, who disclosed this in his end of year briefing on Friday in Lokoja, said the command also impounded 11 vehicles used to ferry the drugs.

Bello said that the command discovered and destroyed a large cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) farm at Uloko in Ankpa Local Government Area of the state and arrested a man suspected to be the owner of the farm.

The commander stated that out of the 143 suspects arrested, 34 were prosecuted, 12 were convicted, while 22 cases were still pending at the Federal High Court, Lokoja.

He said that a total of 105 drug users were successfully counselled and were re-united with their families, while three drug users were successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated into the society.

Three others, according to him, are presently undergoing rehabilitation at the NDLEA state command in Lokoja.

He added that two suspected criminals were apprehended and handed over to the state police command during the year under review.

Bello expressed gratitude to sister security agencies in the state for their cooperation in the areas of intelligence sharing and commended media outfits and representatives in the state for giving ‘adequate’ publicity to the command’s activities.

The commander, however, reiterated his call to Kogi State Government for assistance to the command in the area of necessary logistics – such as vehicles and a building to serve as rehabilitation centre for drug-dependent persons.

Bello commended the members of the public for their co-operation and urged them to continue to volunteer useful information that would lead to the arrest of drug dealers, adding that the safety and identity of informants would be guaranteed. (NAN)

•Photo show NDLEA Chairman, Mrs. Roli George.

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