Two million kilograms of illicit drugs seized in five months – NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that over two million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs have been seized from January to May 2021.

Chairman of the Agency, Mohammed Marwa disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists in Abuja, the nation’s capital ahead of the 2021 World Drug Day scheduled for June 26.

He explained that within the same period 2,180 arrests have been made by the agency, including five drug barons while 2,100 drug cases have been filed in court, out of which over 500 convictions have been recorded and 1,549 cases are still pending.

These achievements, Marwa said, were recorded following the launch of the agency’s offensive action against drug cartels across the country five months ago.

Marwa also disclosed that a new trend in drug abuse has emerged in Kogi State where young people engage in smoking a local substance called ‘lope’ which looks like Marijuana.

According to him those who take the substance believe the local substance can fortify them against knives, bullets, and other metallic tools.

He says drug abuse contributes largely to insecurity, violent extremism, among other acts.