NDLEA convicts 39 drug peddlers, rehabilitates 179 addicts in Nasarawa

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nasarawa State command says it has secured the conviction of 39 drug peddlers out of 42 it arrested and rehabilitated 171 drug abusers in the state.

The agency’s commander in the state, Mr Sumaila Ethan, made the disclosure in a press briefing yesterday in Lafia to commemorate the 2017 United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Ethan said that the 42 drug peddlers were arrested between July 2016 and June 2017 in various locations in the state with about seven hundred kilogrammes of narcotic drugs seized during the period.

“Equally out of the 42 drug suspects, 39 convictions were secured at the Federal High Court, Lafia. This high rate of convictions may have contributed in the reduction in the rate of drug trafficking in the state.

“Also, our aggressive counselling programme has ensured that 171 drug users were rehabilitated. Some came for the rehabilitation out of their own free will,” he said.

Ethan explained that apart from using effective counselling as a means of reducing the abuse of narcotic drugs, the command made use of other strategies such as public education through seminars, workshops and television talk shows.

“Also, drug free clubs were established in some secondary schools within the state and the Federal University Lafia. Efforts have similarly been stepped up to establish drug free clubs in Nasarawa State Polytechnic Agriculture, Lafia.

“Our counselling, rehabilitation remains the best, attesting to low rate of relapse. The combination of physical and spiritual counselling of drug addicts has proved most effective in rehabilitating drug addicts,” he added.

The NDLEA state commander called on parents to strengthen the relationship between them and their children to prevent drug abuse and other social vices inimical to societal peace and development.

“The global theme for this year’s campaign, ‘Listen First’, requires also that parents reach out to young persons, listen to them and share in their concerns, then help them build positive attitudes and relevant skills needed to prevent drug abuse and social vices.” Ethan said. and College of