NDLEA to clampdown on properties linked to drug trafficking nationwide
As part of efforts to intensify the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has concluded plans to confiscate properties, including houses and vehicles, where illicit drugs are intercepted.
Acknowledging addiction as a health issue, the agency also emphasised its commitment to treatment and rehabilitation, while revealing that it has established around 30 rehabilitation centres nationwide, offering counselling, medical care, and reintegration programmes to help recovering drug users rejoin society and their families.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, while making this known on Thursday in Abuja during the 10th National Youth Summit on Drugs and Substance Abuse, organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) and the African Youths Initiative on Crime Prevention, highlighted NDLEA’s three-pronged approach to tackling drug abuse: enforcement, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Marwa, represented by the agency’s technical adviser, Otunba Lanre Impinmisho, said, “In the past year, we seized over 3,980,916 kilograms of illicit drugs, dismantled syndicates, and arrested key drug traffickers. To send a strong message, the agency will confiscate houses and vehicles used for drug trafficking,” he said.
On his part, BPSR Director General, Mr Dasuki Arabi, called for nationwide collaboration to address the alarming rise in drug abuse, particularly among Nigerian youth.
Also speaking, Ambassador Chris Ibe, Founder and Executive Director of the African Youths Initiative on Crime Prevention, emphasised the need for collective action to combat drug trafficking and abuse.
Source: Daily Trust
