The Osun State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed that it apprehended 252 suspects and confiscated 1,909.6920kg of illicit drugs from January to December 2023.
Osun NDLEA also disclosed that 214 males and 38 females, totalling 252, were arrested within the period.
Within the period under review, the Command disclosed that it was able to secure the convictions of 57 accused persons who were sentenced to various jail terms ranging from three months to five years imprisonment with 47 cases pending.
This was disclosed by NDLEA Osun State Commandant, Nnadi Chidi, in a statement signed by the Command Public Affairs Officer, Charles Odigie on Saturday.
The statement revealed that “within same period, the drug supply reduction efforts led to the discovery and destruction of 9.5 hectares of Cannabis Farms (23.759 tones) of cannabis sativa at Ifedayo and Oriade local government areas.
“Balancing supply and demand reductions, the Command equally embarked on War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy on substance abuse suppression in the state. The Agency had a brief counseling intervention of 79 People Who Use Drug (PWUD) and also embarked on awareness/sensitization programmes in religious houses, schools, motor parks, markets and workplaces etc.”
Refuting the allusion that Osun State is the second highest cannabis producing state in the South West, Nnadi stressed that though there was a slight increase in the use of ‘loud’ and other cannabis strains in the state, empirically and going by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 2018 report, the state remained 5th in the prevalence of drug use and cultivation in the region.
He expressed gratitude to the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), and the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke for their unalloyed cooperation and determined stance to rid the state and Nigeria of substance abuse.
While assuring the people of the state of the agency’s resolve to make Osun uncomfortable for cannabis cultivators and dealers, he advised those peddling such narcotics to desist.
