Kelvin Bowoto
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), 15 drug kingpins out of 3,412 criminals successfully prosecuted and convicted in 2023 received a total of 168 years in jail.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, made the statement on Wednesday while addressing the agency’s commanders, officers, and men at an awards and commendations ceremony at its national headquarters in Abuja.
He stated, “According to our statistics, we recorded 13,664 arrests, resulting in the seizure of 1,606,799.09 kilograms of various illicit drugs and 3,412 convictions, for a total of 5,570 offenders charged in court in 2023.” It is true that at least 15 drug kingpins were sentenced to 168 years in prison this year. That represents a significant increase in our performance in 2022.
“Notably, in 2023, we also ramped up our enforcement action against cannabis farms and carried out at least seven successful major operations, leading to the discovery and destruction of over 206 hectares of cannabis plantations.”
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Marwa went on to say that the agency has expanded its War Against Drug Addiction (WADA) advocacy program worldwide in order to raise awareness about the risks of substance addiction and encourage individuals who are already addicted to get help.
He stated, “The frequency and intensity of our advocacy throughout the year improved significantly.” Zonal and state commands have been extremely focused on spreading WADA advocacy. As a consequence, 2,725 sensitization lectures and programs were delivered in a variety of settings, including schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities.
“A breakdown of the WADA lectures delivered in 2023 shows: 807 in primary/secondary schools, 146 in tertiary institutions, 488 for out-of-school youngsters, 264 in worship centers, 140 in military/paramilitary organizations, and 90 in other workplaces, among others. Similarly, our commands and formations have dealt with the increasing workload of counseling efforts, resulting in the counseling and rehabilitation of 10,904 drug addicts.”
Meanwhile, 104 people and 13 commands with outstanding performance in the second half of 2023 were acknowledged and rewarded.
Techrectory with Agency Report.
