11, 340 suspects have been arrested and 1,111 have been convicted for for illicit drugs related offences between January and November nationwide. This is according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, said this during the 4th quarter award of excellence ceremony and presentations of commendation letters on Tuesday in Abuja.
Marwa noted that the figures were balanced by equally impressive drug demand reduction statistics.
- NDLEA intercepts 64,000 live cartridges, rescues 34 children from traffickers in Anambra
- NDLEA seizes 3m kilograms of drugs, arrests 10,000 offenders
He said 11, 340 arrests were made and 1,111 convictions in 11 months with 7,066 counselled and rehabilitated, all in the agency’s facilities.
“During the 11 months, we have successfully mopped up over 3.3 million kilograms of assorted drugs; away from the streets of Nigeria; away from criminals, terrorists and bandits; away from our youths,” he said.
The NDLEA boss said these figures might not mean much to some persons, adding that nothing was big or small except by comparison.
“By comparing these results with those of previous years, one can see a difference so glaring and begs for the question ‘what is the secret of this transformation?’
“The secret is the grace of God and motivation. Otherwise, we are still the same officers and men. We are still using the same equipment.
“Not even our salaries have increased, not yet. But we are no longer stuck in the same demoralising circumstances that prevailed for decades,” he said. (NAN)
