NDLEA takes drug fight campaign to homes

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that it is prepared to take its renewed campaign against the use of illicit drugs to nuclear families.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

Babafemi was reacting to the video footage that went viral of a teenage boy caught with Marijuana recently in an uncompleted building and a bust of drug cookies’ syndicate on April 20.

The NDLEA Director said that the agency would not compromise the safety of young Nigerians.

Speaking on the agency’s approach to achieve the target, Babafemi said that the agency would reach out to faith-based and community-based organisations to get its messages to the families and homes.

According to him, NDLEA is reaching out to faith-based organisations and community-based organisations to get our messages to the families and homes.

“NDLEA has kicked off advocacies and campaigns in the schools and communities.

“The agency is encouraging the setting up of drug control committees in schools and communities to curb the trend.

These are parts of the tangible efforts being taken at the moment to save the young ones from the menace of drug abuse.

“The chairman of NDLEA Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, also drew attention of parents to drug cookies, a new dubious strategy to get children addicted to drug cookies.

“He urged parents to remain vigilant while monitoring what their wards were bringing home from school or consumed as snacks,’’ Babafemi said.

Speaking on the number of traffickers arrested within three months of Marwa’s takeover of the leadership of NDLEA, he said that 2,175 drug traffickers were arrested.

He also mentioned the seizure of 2,050,766.33 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs.

“About 2,000 drug cases are in court with 329 convictions and 1,549 pending cases,” he said.

Babafemi said that cash and drug seizures were valued at over N75 billion. (NAN)