Bauchi State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday destroyed 16, 146 kilogrames of illicit drugs and narcotic substances seized by the command.
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Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Muhammad Mustapha, stated this at the destruction exercise at Dungal Village in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state.
Mustapha, represented by his Chief of Staff, Oluru Femi, said the seized drugs consist of 6, 665. 852 kilogrammes of cannabis; 7, 011. 865 kilogrammes of cough syrups and 1, 883. 914 kgs of Tramadol.
He decried the prevalence of pharmaceutical drug prescriptions and the indiscriminate abuse among youth and women, describing the trend as “worrisome”, noting that the drugs might appear less injurious but harmful as cocaine, heroin and cannabis.
“The burnt drugs points to the growing abuse of pharmaceutical drug prescriptions such as cough syrups containing codeine and Tramadol.
“These drugs have become more prevalent than cannabis sativa that are cultivated locally,” he said.
Mustapha assured that the Agency was on the top of the challenges posed by trafficking and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs.
He said the state government and people of the state had been supportive to the Agency’s onslaught against drug dealers.
According to him, drug abuse and illicit drugs trafficking are neither a respecter of persons, age, religion, social class or race as everyone is vulnerable, hence, the need to address the scourge.
The chairman pointed out that the safety of our country tomorrow depended on our counter-narcotic measures today.
“We are working on strategies to arrest the development and prevent the situation from degenerating,” he added.
Gov. Bala Mohammed, said the destruction exercise of the drugs would serve as lesson to the dealers who invested heavily in the illegal business.
Mohammed who was represented by his deputy, Baba Tela asserted that no nation was immune to the devastating problems of drug abuse.
According to him, he is disturbed by the effects of drugs abuse resulting to road accidents, mental health, family disruptions and other health related diseases.
Mohammed who expressed shock over the large quantity of illicit drugs seized in the state, observed that the country at a time was seen by international community as major transit point for hard drugs en route U.S and Western Europe.
Also speaking, the State Commander of the Agency, Segun Oke, noted that illicit drugs were mostly the bases of crimes, prostitution, robbery, kidnapping and general insecurity in the state and the country.
Oke called on the state government and the people of the state to support the Agency in its crusade against the menace.
He added that the event was paramount and a pointer to the dealers that were bent on resisting the war against them.