NDLEA destroys 25,381.495kg of cocaine, cannabis in Kebbi

From Ismail Adebayo, Birnin Kebbi

The Kebbi State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 25,381.495 kilograms of seized illicit drugs valued at several billions of naira.

The destruction exercise, conducted on Saturday along Kolar area of Birnin Kebbi, covered various substances including 0.027kg of cocaine, 16,951.105kg of cannabis sativa, 0.0036kg of methamphetamine, 336.978kg of Akuskura (THC), and 8,093.381kg of tramadol.

Muhammed Usman, Deputy Director of General Operations at NDLEA Headquarters, represented the agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), at the event. Usman said the public destruction followed an order of the Federal High Court sitting in Birnin Kebbi in line with Section 3(1) of the NDLEA Act.

“This occasion signifies a major achievement in our ongoing efforts to curb substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country,” he said, adding that the exercise sends a strong message to those engaged in drug-related crimes.

In Marwa’s remarks delivered through his representative, he noted that illicit drugs continue to wreak havoc on communities, tear families apart, and weaken the fabric of society. He said drug abuse has contributed to serious crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping, and banditry.

Earlier, the Kebbi State Commander of the NDLEA, Rabiu Abdullahi Sokoto, said the strategic location of the state has made it a transit point for drug trafficking. “Our porous borders with Niger Republic to the north and Benin Republic to the west have increased the inflow of illicit substances into the country through Kebbi,” he warned.