28th November, 2011
The Niger Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said it seized 137.550 kilogramme of illicit drugs and arrested 70 suspects between October and November in the state.
Mallam Abdullahi Abdu, who announced this in Minna on Sunday, said the arrest and seizure followed raids on black spots in the state by a Joint Task Force comprising the Police and NDLEA.
Abdu said the Task Force was set up by the state government to curb the menace of cannabis dealers.
According to him, the essence of the Task Force is to protect security personnel at villages where the drugs business is taking place.
He said the first segment of the joint operation started on 27 October and ended on 20 November, noting that 70 suspects were arrested.
“The total weight of suspected illicit drugs recovered from the operation is 137.550 kg, the quantity of drugs pulled out from circulation is enough to wreak havoc in the state if not withdrawn.
“I want to use this medium to plead with traditional rulers, parents and well-meaning citizens in the state to provide adequate information that will lead to the arrests of other drug dealers who ran away while the operation was going on.“
Abdu said the state could not accommodate drug dealers anymore, adding that NDLEA was poised to ensure free drug society, with the active cooperation of the citizens.