The Oyo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested 330 drug traffickers and secured 48 convictions in the state in the year 2021.

State NDLEA Commander, Dr Wale Ige, made this known in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson Mutiat Okuwobi on Sunday in Ibadan.

Mr Ige said that the suspects comprising 297 males and 33 females were arrested for dealing in various drug offences such as Cannabis sativa, Tramadol, Diazepam, Rohypnol, Colorado, codeine, chocolate infused with codeine and other psychotropic substances.

Mr Ige said that 101 suspects were charged to court while 48 of them were convicted for various drug offences with jail terms ranging from six months to life imprisonment in the year under review.

“The Command gave brief intervention via counselling to 104 People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) consisting of 98 males and six females.

“We presently have five clients undergoing residential rehabilitation while ten persons were rehabilitated and integrated back to the society during the year under review,” he said.

Mr Ige said that the command recorded a total seizure of 3,543.96 kilograms of Cannabis sativa and other narcotic and psychotropic substances during the period under review.

He said the command recovered four locally fabricated pistols with seven cartridges, a black colour Toyota Sequoia with registration Number LAGOS MUS 553 with 608.40kg of cannabis sativa.

He said that it also recovered a red Nissan Primera car with registration number LAGOS FKJ 890 DZ seized alongside 85.90kg of cannabis sativa.

Mr Ige said that the command destroyed 0.69 hectare of cannabis farm located at Olosun village in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

He said that the command’s sensitisation programmes were extended to over 164 schools and some private organisations in the year under review.

He called on the public to support and join hands with NDLEA in the state in ridding it of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. 

NAN