1,630 jailed for Drug crimes in 8 months – Marwa

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said 1,630 people have been jailed for various drug offences across the country since January this year.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) disclosed this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Friday in Abuja.

“As far as activities in the drug supply reduction sphere are concerned, we have seized drugs worth billions of Naira, over N100 billion. The cash has been sent to the CBN and the actual drug themselves we have sought for forfeiture from the courts for destruction.

“We have jailed 1,630 since January. These are criminals, shameless criminals, and murderers, who traffic drugs. We have counseled and rehabilitated over 4000 within our NDLEA facilities.

“The issues of the war against drug abuse cascade down to communities. So, I briefed the President on the advocacy work that we are doing across the country structures, state level, local government, communities, the role of the traditional institutions, NGOs and media, what families are expected to do, the school system.

“The federal ministry of education already is working on curricula, because now kids start taking drugs from primary school, we need to get the root of it.

“These are some of the areas that we have touched with the president, clearly a substantial part of which I may not disclose,” Marwa stated.