The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Thursday said that it had arrested 26 persons for alleged drug abuse in Kwara State.
Kwara State NDLEA’s Commander, Ambrose Umoru, who made the disclosure in Ilorin, said that the arrests were made within two months of his assumption of office.
Mr Umoru said that those arrested included seven dealers of cannabis and a 54-year-old man, Chukwuemeka Odeh, who had a warehouse for cannabis.
He said that Mr Odeh, popularly known as ‘Chucks’, had been arrested by the command in 1994 and 2017, during which about 396 bags of cannabis weighing 4,356 kg were recovered from him.
The commander said that he was declared wanted by the command since 2017, adding that he had been on the command’s watch list until he was recently apprehended.
According to him, others arrested are Osuolale Gabriel, 45, Jamiu Isiaka, 24, Akeem Salawu 32, Yusuf Ibrahim 52, and Ekene Chukwuma.
Mr Umoru said that 14 University of Ilorin students were also apprehended while smoking cannabis and using tramadol tablets, but were later counselled and released.
“A total of 19 people who use drug were arrested during the on going “Operation Keep Drug Free” activities, but have been counselled and released to their families.
“Seven people who use drugs are currently undergoing care, treatment, counselling and rehabilitation at the state command headquarters with a view to reintegrating them to the society,” he said.
Mr Umoru said that the command also discovered drug joints along Ilofa road,GRA, Ajikobi area, Adewole Estate, Maraba motor park, Oko Olowo area, Omupo, Malete and Tanke axis.
He said that the command had also evolved a programme tagged ‘Know your Child’s Drug Status’, targeted at identifying people who use drugs.
The commander appealed to parents, guardians, schools, organisations and the public to take advantage of the anti-drug abuse sensitisation programme.
“Routine anti-drug abuse sensitization activities are currently ongoing in schools across the state. All hands must be on deck for us to sanitise this state of this drug scourge,” he said.
