The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Katsina State arrested 919 suspects, seized over 563 kilogrammes of drugs, and secured 76 convictions in the year 2023.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that the seized drugs comprised 450.963kg of Cannabis and 111.5911kg of other Psychotropic drugs.
The Command also secured the interim forfeiture of one Sienna vehicle and final forfeiture of 33 abandoned motorcycles and one prime Nissan vehicle.
The State’s Area Commander, CN Sani Abubakar disclosed this during the Command’s end-of-year briefing on Thursday. He admitted that “The year 2023 was challenging due to banditry. However, we persevered and performed optimally in combating drug abuse.”
Ranked the second-highest in substance abuse within the North-West region, the drug issue in Katsina is compounded by pervasive banditry, Abubakar noted.
The Commander of Narcotics (CN) also noted that beyond the arrest, the Command extended a helping hand to 842 suspects through counselling and admitted 82 clients into their rehabilitation programme.
Furthermore, CN Abubakar disclosed that the agency through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), organised 148 awareness programmes and educated nearly 80,000 people on the dangers of drug use, offering alternative paths.
Other notable achievements of the Command according to CN Abubakar include the busting of drug parties and administering of drug integrity tests to major company employees in Katsina State.
However, CN Abubakar identified scarcity of logistics and the uncooperative attitude of the populace as the two major challenges facing their operations in the state. He said the scarcity of logistics is hampering their efforts to expand operations across the entire state.
Abubakar while acknowledging that “The level of substance abuse in Katsina is a serious concern,” expressed optimism that with the cooperation of the state government, community leaders, and residents, all joining forces with the NDLEA in raising awareness and supporting rehabilitation efforts, Katsina can turn the tide against substance abuse and build a safer future for its citizens.