The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency

  • NDLEA to tackle use of prohibited substances by youths in FCT

    NDLEA to tackle use of prohibited substances by youths in FCT

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), FCT Command, said it would organize a sensitization campaign against the use of prohibited substances by youths in the territory.

    The News men reports that some youths in the territory are reportedly mixing Medical Grade Methylated spirit with a Soft drink to get intoxicated.

    The Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the command, Mr. Peter Adegbe, confirmed this in an Interview with the News men on Friday in Abuja.

    Adegbe, who said that he got to know about the development through one of the personnel of the agency, however, stated that no arrest was made, yet.

    “I was in my office when one of our Officers said Youths are now mixing Methylated Spirit with a soft drink to get high.

    “As a Chemist, the Methylated spirit that I know is 98 per cent pure. It is deadly and dangerous.

    “Although the mixture has no name yet and it has not yet escalated, we have not come across anyone into it.

    “But you know what, every day, new substances of intoxication are coming up and young people are trying new ways on how to get intoxicated.

    Read Also: NDLEA seize ton of illicit drugs, nab 324 suspects in Abia

    “We haven’t made any arrest neither have we counseled anyone, yet.

    The PRO said the agency could get to know more about the development through arrests, adding that the command was seriously working toward that.

    He said the command had conducted several campaigns against the dangers of drug abuse, urging the Nigerian Youth to shun the act.

    “Just last week, we held a campaign on “Drug and Crime “and the turnout was massive.

    “We don’t intend to stop there, as we are planning to organize three more campaigns before the end of February.

    “The campaign is a continuous thing and it will dwell more on this new found substance by the Nigerian Youths, “he said.

    The spokesman said that the command would ensure that the substance was not found in any Pharmacy or Chemist.

    He said the major problems driving youths into drugs are:  Idleness, Curiosity and peer pressure.

    “When you are idle, you are not engaging in anything, you want to try what others are doing and you have friends that are into drugs, you are endangering your life.

    Adegbe advised parents to be closer to their children to know who their friends were, adding that this would help to reduce the rate at which Youths got involved in drug abuse.

    NAN

     

  • Suspected drug seller arrested in Ondo

    Suspected drug seller arrested in Ondo

    A suspected drug seller,Chidi Ebere has been arrested and handed over to an official of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Olagoke Balogun (Deputy Commander)in Ikare- Akoko Unit of Ondo state.

    The Unit Commander,Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC)Ikare-Akoko,Jimoh Basiru reportedly caught Ebere with 20 packs of substance neatly sealed in a carton suspected to be Indian hemps.

    According to Basiru, his men went to an accident scene in Oba Akoko along the busy Abuja road where they evacuated some goods just for the owners to claim.

    The driver of the ill-fated vehicle was said to have been rushed to Iwaro-Oka General Hospital where he was being treated.

    It was learnt that the accused came to Ikare Office of the FRSC to claim his goods and its men asked him to show evidence of ownership.

    Read Also: NDLEA seize tons of illicit drugs, nab 324 suspects

    Besides,they asked him what was inside the carton,but he lied.

    Sources said they forced him to open the carton and in an attempt to obey the order,he escaped, but was later apprehended by some FRSC officials.

    In his confessional statement,he said,Ebere said he was selling spare parts in Abuja and was financially down which prompted him to contact a friend in Lagos who went the drugs to him to raise money.

    According to him, this is the first time he would involve in such act.

    The police from Oba-Akoko were at the scene of his arrest.

  • NDLEA educates youths against drug abuse in FCT

    NDLEA educates youths against drug abuse in FCT

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), FCT Command,has launched a campaign to educate youths in the territory on the dangers of drug abuse.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, Mr Peter Adegbe,who is leading the campaign, said the exercise was  targeted at youths in various strategic locations in the area.

    Tagged: “The Sad End of Drug Abuse”, the campaign educated the students of Veritas University Bwari, on the relationship between drug and crime, violence, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

    Read Also: NDLEA impounds 722.469kg of illicit drugs in Cross River

    Addressing the students, Adegbe, said: “Drug abuse will bring lots of health hazards and that students who are drug-dependent will eventually drop out of school, look older than their age, might end up in jail and even become liable to die young.’’

    Over 500 students of the university attended the function.

    The PRO said the team would move the campaign to Jabi Park in the FCT on Saturday to train the Youth Association of the Anglican Church of Wuse Zone 5, on “drug and crime”.

    He said medical personnel would also be on ground to conduct medical tests and give drugs to the youths.

    NAN

  • Court jails labourer for trafficking cannabis

    Court jails labourer for trafficking cannabis

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday, sentenced a 23-years-old labourer, Musa Danjuma, to one year imprisonment, for trafficking in 350g of Cannabis Sativa, also known as `Hemp’.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), on January 29, arraigned the convict on a one count charge of trafficking Hemp.

    Danjuma pleaded guilty to the charge.

    The prosecution said that Danjuma was arrested on September 13, 2017, at Ajao Estate in Lagos, with 350kg of the narcotics.

    He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

    Read also: Court remands Ondo monarch, four others for alleged stealing

    The prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, after Danjuma’s plea of guilt, reviewed the facts of the case before the court and led one prosecution witness in evidence.

    He tendered in evidence, a written statement of the accused, a request for scientific aid form, and a bulk of the exhibit.

    Aernan, thereafter, closed the case for the prosecution, and urged the court to sentence the accused in accordance with section 356 (2) of the ACJA 2015, and based on evidences adduced.

    At the resumed hearing, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, found the accused guilty as charged and accordingly, convicted him.

    The convict, who was not represented by a lawyer, pleaded for mercy and asked the court to give him a second chance to make amend.

    Oguntoyinbo sentenced the convict to one year imprisonment and held that the sentence would commence from the date of his arrest.

    “The convict is hereby, sentenced to one year imprisonment, to be calculated from the date of his arrest.

    “The drug exhibits are to be returned to the NDLEA for destruction,” she held.

    NAN

  • NDLEA arrests 646 suspects, seizes 1,238,45kgs of illicit drugs in Jigawa

    NDLEA arrests 646 suspects, seizes 1,238,45kgs of illicit drugs in Jigawa

    The Jigawa command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), arrested 646 suspects and recovered 1,283.54 kilograms of narcotics in 2017, according to its spokesman, Mairaga Ya’u.

    Ya’u, in a statement on Thursday in Dutse, said that 112 of those arrested had been convicted and were serving various jail terms.

    According to him, 416 persons were counseled by the agency within the period under review.

    He said that 40,000 persons benefited from the agency’s 68 drug preventive education lectures/advocacy talks  conducted in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

    The spokesman said that the agency had arrested 30 persons over drug-related crimes this year, while 4.51 kilograms of assorted drugs were also recovered.

    Read Also: Suspected drug traffickers kill NDLEA officer in Kano

    “Already, 11 persons, out of the 30 arrested this year, have been convicted and sent to jail, while 13 persons are currently undergoing counseling,” he said.

    The spokesman decried the rising spate of drug-related crimes in Jigawa, and called for concerted efforts to rid the state of the menace.

    “The drug war should not be left to NDLEA alone; everyone  has a role to play in the effort to rid the country of drug trafficking and abuse,” he said.

    NAN

  • Hemp plantation: NDLEA arrests 9 suspects in Gombe

    Hemp plantation: NDLEA arrests 9 suspects in Gombe

    National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) has arrested nine suspects in connection with a suspected Indian Hemp plantation in Kulani village in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.

    The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Aliyu Adole, disclosed  an interview in Gombe on Tuesday.

    Adole said the suspects reside in the village where the plantation, capable of producing large quantity of the hemp, was uncovered.

    He added that “the suspects have Indian hemp plantation capable of producing large quantity of the weed.

    “It is unfortunate that our youths are engaged in hemp farming instead of food or cash crops production.”

    Adole said the suspects were not selling the weed in the state alone, but were exporting part of it to neighbouring states of Adamawa and Taraba.

    The commander said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigation.

    Read Also:  NDLEA  seizes 19 sacks of India hemp in Osun, arrests suspect

    He explained that the command was looking at the possibility of establishing an area command in Tallase, headquarter of Balanga Local Government Area, to curb activities of farmers who engaged in Indian hemp cultivation.

    “We want to establish an office at the local government headquarters so that we will be able to monitor the activities of criminals who engaged in cultivation of the weed.

    “But our major constraint has to do with work force: we cannot perform effectively without adequate manpower, which is lacking at present.

    “Once the rainy season starts, you begin to see farms where the weed is planted: we do not want to give people the chance to engage in such illegal activity.”

    Adole appealed to government at all levels to assist the agency with logistics to enable its operatives to penetrate difficult terrain in the state.

    He warned people who were into hard drug business to stop or be made to face the consequences.

    NAN

  • Stakeholders urge FG to beef up security at Lagos airport

    Stakeholders urge FG to beef up security at Lagos airport

    Stakeholders in the aviation sector have called on the Federal Government to beef up security at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, following recent alleged poaching of aircraft and stealing of baggage.

    They said on Monday in Lagos that security was the bottom line of aviation, hence the need to urgently address the issue.

    Mr Olayinka Abioye, General Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees ( NUATE ), noted that such incidents were not good for the image of the country.

    “This is not a good story for the country.

    “We know that no outsider can come into the airport except maybe people that have been disengaged or maybe workers that are presently working at the airport but are being owed salaries and benefits.

    “Imagine a worker working in a security company, earning N40, 000 as salary, is approached by a passenger with 1,000 dollars to smuggle an illegal substance into an aircraft.

    Read also: Truck hits Air Peace aircraft at Lagos Airport 

    “Some of them will do the dirty job willingly but when such workers are given commensurate remuneration and benefits, they will not be easily enticed,” he said.

    Abioye urged the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA ) to immediately invite all the security service providers to a round table where their operations could be properly reviewed.

    Also, the President of the Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr Gbenga Olowo, said there was need to centralised security at the airport and also deployed technology in strategic areas.

    “Today, we have Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN ), Immigration, Air Force, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), Directorate of State Security ( DSS ) and Police

    “We should centralised security at the airports. ART has been talking about this for some time because we must take the best model of aviation security by removing it from many hands.

    “We should stop these various agencies from setting up their individual desks. So, we should centralise security and deploy technology.

    “When you deploy technology, you don’t need a separate counter for narcotics or DSS because once you get to immigration, all your details will be there,” he said.

    NAN

  • Court remands barber, bus conductor, for drug trafficking

    Court remands barber, bus conductor, for drug trafficking

    A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of Samuel Oluwaseun, 30 and Soliu Forounbi 25, in prison custody, for allegedly trafficking in had drugs.

    Oluwaseun was arraigned for trafficking in 550 grammes of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) while Farounbi was docked for being in possession of 450 grammes of other narcotics.

    The Judge, Hadiza Shagari, gave order for the remand when the two accused persons pleaded guilty as charged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ).

    Justice Shagari adjourned the case of the first accused until Feb. 5 for review of facts and that of the second accused until Feb. 6.

    They are standing trial on one-count charge of drug trafficking, which contravenes Sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap No. 30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

    The Prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, had told the court that Oluwaseun, a barber, committed the offence on Nov. 1, 2017, while Farounbi, a bus conductor, committed the same offence on Nov. 3, 2017.

    Aernan said that the first accused was arrested at Mile 12 in Lagos, for allegedly possessing the 550 grammes of cannabis sativa.

    He also said that the second accused was arrested at Kola Market in Agado Lagos, for allegedly being in possession of 450 grammes other narcotics.

    The prosecutor urged the court to remand the two accused in prison custody, pending the review of the facts of their cases.

  • Court remands woman for Indian hemp trafficking

    Court remands woman for Indian hemp trafficking

    A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, remanded a 35-year-old woman, Salihu Binta, in prison custody for allegedly trafficking 30kg of cannabis sativa otherwise called Indian hemp.

    Binta, who was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ), is standing trial on one count charge, bordering on unlawful possession of narcotic drugs.

    Counsel to the NDLEA, Mr Mike Kassa, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Aug. 20, 2017 along Abaji-Gwagwalada road, Abuja.

    Kassa said the accused, without any lawful authority, possessed 30kg of the narcotic drug, similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD.

    He said that the offence contravened Section 11 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    Read Also: Court docked four Justrite staff over alleged theft

    The accused, who was not represented by any counsel, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge.

    The judge, Ahmed Mohammed, consequently remanded the accused in prison custody and adjourned the case to Jan. 15 for review of facts in the case.

    NAN

  • Stay away from drug abuse, NAFDAC warns women

    Stay away from drug abuse, NAFDAC warns women

    The National Food and Drugs Administration and Control ( NAFDAC ) has warned women against drug abuse.

    Mrs Roseline Ajayi, the Deputy Director and Kwara State Coordinator of NAFDAC gave the warnings while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Ilorin.

    According to her, the abuse of drugs is becoming prevalence among women.

    “I have heard the story that drug abuse is quite prevalence among ladies and I think it is about the environment where they live.

    Read also: Why hard drugs, crimes ravage Nigeria

    “In an environment where alcohol is consumed freely, where you have frustration, joblessness and pressure in the home-front, people tend to take solace in something and they go after doing something that will make them forget about their sorrow,’’ she said.

    The coordinator said that the agency discovered that soft drinks were being laced with drugs such as tramadol and codeine cough syrup before being taken.

    “Because of the stigma that women might face if they come out openly that they take drugs, they do it clandestinely by lacing soft drinks with hard drugs to prevent people from suspecting them,’’ he said.

    Ajayi said the agency had stepped up its awareness campaign against drug abuse and misuse through enlightenment on dangers and consequences of drugs abuse.

    According to her, the agency is ready to partner with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) to effectively combat drug-related offences.

    She urged Nigerians to uphold family ties and values, adding that parents should watch and relate well with their children while giving them the needed support.

    Ajayi also spoke on the need for government to step up effort to stem the rate of unemployment so that the rate of drug
    abuse could reduce.

    “When youths are gainfully engaged, they will be busy; their minds will not go into illicit drugs consumption,’’ she said.

    NAN