In the past three years, 9,034 convictions have been obtained, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, or NDLEA.
The Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Buba Marwa, disclosed this in Lagos on Tuesday during the Island Club Business luncheon.
Marwa said that the agency also arrested 52,901 traffickers and 52 barons within the period under review, stressing that most of the culprits were high-profile personalities in the society.
“That tells how deeply the rot had eaten into the fabric of our society.
“Within the period, we have seized 8.6 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms,” he said.
According to him, the high number of arrests and prosecutions was a significant achievement, showing the agency’s commitment to tackling the scourge of drug trafficking in the country.
In his welcome remarks, the Chairman of the Island Club, Rotimi Olasode Martins acknowledged Marwa’s unwavering commitment to combating drug abuse.
Martins said that the NDLEA boss’s wealth of experience in tackling the scourge was commendable.
According to him, drug abuse as a menace had infiltrated every layer of the society, “threatening our youth, destabilising families, and undermining the socio-economic fabric of our nation.”
Written By Matthew Atungwu