By Gambo A Chengo Lafia
As the United Nations marks international Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking every 26th of June every year. Nasarawa State Command of NDLEA Authority said that the command has arrested 632 suspects and convicted105 for various Jail terms from July 2024 to June 2025.
Addressing participants during the celebration to mark the UN Day on Drug abuse and illicit Trafficking held at the Federal secretariat Lafia, the state capital on Thursday, the state commandant of NDLEA CN Dechi David Elisha opined that, in the area of Drug reduction in Nasarawa state, the command through War Against Drug Abuse ( WADA) has embarked on anti- Drug sensitization campaigns,rehabilitation and couselling improved greatly as many people were positively affected ; adding that the Command was able to take the campaign to 90,943 persons with the WADA train stopping in Schools, Communities,, Workplaces ,Motor Parks amo gst others
He however lamented that, the Command is grappling with lack of operational Vehicles and ithe Logistics to run especially to procure credible intelligence on the activities of the drug dealers from the confidential informants, or Whistle blowers as well as willingness from the public volunteer information on the nefarious activities of Drug dealers in their domains ; stressing that more troubling are the youth in some communities who oftently fight Opratives on raid operations that are targeted at drug dealers in the state.
Th state commandant also commended the Nasarawa state governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule and the First Lady Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi Sule and the Traditional rulers in the state headed by the Emir of Lafia Retired Justice Sidi Bage Mohammed as well as the Chairman/ Chief Executive officer of the Agency
Retired general Buba Marwa for their unquantiable assistance to the command and the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state.
Also speaking at the event, the guest speaker Dr Micheal Christopher Enaye of the Department of Sociology/ Criminology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Federal University of Lafia who described Drug abuse and illicit trafficking as a Societal threat globally that needed a proactive measures and able hands to prevent it.
According to him" It is not an individual affairs. But it must be a collective effort from the stakeholders, starting from the Primary to Secondary levels of prevention. Most social vices committed today in our society emanate from drug abuse amongst others."
"Drug Abuse and illicit trafficking always damage the reputation of a Nation, state, community, family and the person himself or herself because of its health implication . It is a serious problem confronting both developed and developing countries and need to stopped". He added.