Tincan/Apapa NDLEA port commands restate commitment to stemming tides of illicit drug importation
Tincan/Apapa NDLEA port commands restate commitment to stemming tides of illicit drug importation
Operatives of Tin Can and Apapa Ports Special Commands of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday restated commitments to wipe out the menace of drug trafficking through the seaports.
The agency reiterated its resolve at the Grand finale of an event in commemoration of the 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking that held in Apapa.
The theme for 2023 edition of the annual event is “People first: Stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention.”
Speaking with newsmen after the event, the Tincan Island port Commander, Narcotic Commander,
Aminu Abubakar disclosed that the command made a seizure of over 521.95kg of cannabis indica with street value of N1,774,630,000 between January and June, 2023.
NC Abubakar maintained that seven suspects who are currently under prosecution, were arrested in connection with the illicit drugs
He pointed out that the officers and men of the Agency at the Tincan Special command have been working tirelessly to ensure that illicit drugs do not escape their sights at the port.
He stated that most of the contrabands seized at the command include cannabis indica, which are mostly imported from Canada, smuggled in containerised vehicles.
He added that it behoved on the agency to make sure that they do not enter into the Nigerian markets and the ones in the market, should not be allowed to go out.
According to him, strategic planning by personnel has resulted to disruption of supply chains of drug traffickers, thereby protecting countless lives from the devastating consequences of drug abuse in the country.
Abubakar noted that the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign aimed at raising awareness and preventing illicit drug activities in the society, has continued to yield positive results, saying the command has reached out to thousands of individuals through schools programme, community engagements and use of various media platforms.
The Area Commander affirmed that the command has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigeria Customs Service for intelligence and information sharing to synchronize the operations of the two agencies against illicit drug traffickers using the nation’s seaports.
Earlier, the Apapa special command boss, Mr. Noah Udotong who said that the event was put together by the two commands, boasted that the agency has succeeded in reducing the influx of illicit drugs into the country even as he said more efforts are still needed to stem the tide
He called for concerted efforts to nip the menace in the bud.
His words, “We have reduced drug abuse to the minimum but we are not yet we are supposed to be. We are making efforts and the war requires strategy and methods because when you solve one, another surfaces
“We should know that the drug issue is a public health issue, the person that is prone.to drug has become a servant to drug because the drug makes him restless, makes him do whatever he is doing.
“The emphasis is that we should not see these people as people to be avoided, you need to bring them close to you and empathise with them and together, we find help to their problems. When we reflect them, we push them farther into the problem.
“At the seaport, we are doing a lot Nd this year alone, we have seized about ten tonnes of tramadol. We are doing well in Apapa and Tincan is also doing well.”
