OGUN, NDLEA DISAGREE OVER BURNING OF SEIZED DRUGS

The Ogun State Government has called on the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency to find 'appropriate' ways of disposing the drugs
seized from drug barons and traffickers in the country.

The State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who spoke at the burning
of 3,015 kilogrammes of cannabis, cocaine and heroine in Abeokuta on
Friday, said the burning of exhibits in open air constituted
environmental hazard.

Represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Olukoya
Adeleke-Adedoyin, the governor expressed worry that the burning of
the exhibits had weakened the fight against climatic change.

Daniel had earlier pledged the support of the state government for
the agency and other security agencies in the state to curb crimes
and illicit drug trade, saying the state had kept the youths busy
with its job creation initiatives.

The Director-General of the NDLEA, Chief Tunde Ipinmisho, however,
disclosed that the agency was working in collaboration with the
Federal Ministry of Environment to construct incinerators in
strategic parts of the country to dispose the exhibits.

The incinerators, whose numbers Ipinmisho could not disclose, would
soon come on stream before the end of the year. He added that the
agency had initiated moves to collaborate with banks and financial
institutions in the country to expose drug barons and deny them the
opportunity to enjoy their illicit wealth.

The NDLEA DG said, "We are liaising with banks and financial
institutions to ensure that those who amass illicit wealth through
drug trade are denied the chance to enjoy their illegal wealth. We
will get to the roots of their wealth and curtail their excesses.

"Our strategy is to cut off the source of illicit drug supplies
thereby denying drug addicts access to drug. We will also embark on
anti-drug enlightenment activities to educate people on the dangers
of drug cultivation, trafficking and abuse."

A breakdown of the 3,015 kg of the narcotic and psychotropic
substances said to worth about N10million had 60 pinches of cocaine
and 51 pinches of heroine while the largest chunk was cannabis,
popularly known as India Hemp, which constituted 3,014 kg.

The DG stated that 7,899 suspected drug offenders were arrested in
2008 while 336,442.84kgs of illicit drugs were seized in the
corresponding period while 89,700.986kgs of drugs had been burnt
this year with a street value of N400m.

He disclosed that the anti-drug agency handled 3,227 drug
counselling, treatment and rehabilitation cases with Ogun State
accounting for 109 cases.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Commander of the NDLEA, Chinyere Obijuru,
has expressed deep concern about the involvement of teenagers in
drug peddling and abuse in the state.

"These days, even primary school compounds and pupils are used to
peddle drug and this unfortunate situation should not be allowed to
degenerate as these youths are the future of our nation," she said.