The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 7,345.209 kilograms of drugs and illicit substances worth N125.71 million in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The NDLEA Commander in the territory, Kabir Tsakuwa, stated in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the illicit drugs were intercepted in 2023.
Tsakuwa named the various drugs intercepted as marijuana, cocaine, diazepam, methamphetamine, rohypnol, tramadol, pentazocine, heroin, megadon and ecstasy, among others.
Breaking down the seizures, the commander said that a total of 7,138.72 kg of marijuana were intercepted by agency agents during the period analyzed.
He said other drugs seized in 2023 included 0.5kg of cocaine; diazepam, 29,629 kg; methamphetamine, 4,587 kg; rohypnol, 5,934kg and 133,753kg of tramadol.
Tsakuwa added that the rest of the illicit drugs intercepted were pentazocine, which weighed 21,727 kg; heroin, 0.002 kg; megadon, 0.263 kg, and ecstasy, 0.134 kg.
“All the drugs and illicit substances intercepted had a street value of N125,714,620 million,” he said. The NDLEA commander said 640 suspects, including 614 men and 26 women, were arrested during the period under review.
Tsakuwa said of that figure, 295 of the suspects were charged to court and 201 of them were convicted, while 264 cases are pending at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Regarding rehabilitation, he said that during the year under review, 175 drug users received counseling and help to reintegrate into society, of which 172 were men and three women. (YAYA)