The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has arrested no fewer than 225 illegal drug suspects between January and June in Osun.
Statistics provided by the state Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Oluwarotimi Adetula, to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Osogbo, stated that the arrested suspects comprised 174 males and 51 females.
He said that 43 suspects (comprising 40 males and three females) were charged in court in the period under review, with the NDLEA securing 22 convictions.
“Over 654.424kg narcotics comprising; 502.932kg Cannabis Sativa, 3.4kg Cocaine, 62.692kg psychotropic substance and 85.4kg Methamphetamine were also seized in the period under review.”
The agency also carried out 125 drug sensitisation and awareness programmes, with 116 drug users counselled and two rehabilitated.
“Two Cannabis Sativa farms/plantations were also destroyed during the months under review.”
Adetula said the agency was working with the outline of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) to tackle the scourge of drug abuse through a supply and demand reduction strategy.
He said the drug supply reduction strategy targets those into drug cultivation, production and traffickers of illegal drug substances.
“The demand reduction strategy entails drug abuse prevention education in schools and public places, advocacy visits as well as treatment and rehabilitation of drug users,” he said.
The commander reiterated the commitment of NDLEA to make Osun uninhabitable to drug barons and traffickers, and urged residents to join the agency in its fight against drug abuse.
He also advised the youth to stay away from abusing any form of drugs.