The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Adamawa Command, has said that it has commenced intensive surveillance on major routes along the Nigeria-Cameroon border so as to forestall the importation of codeine into the country.
NDLEA said the move was sequel to the federal government’s ban on the production and importation of codeine into the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Federal Ministry of Health had directed NDLEA offices across the country to ensure strict surveillance of the borders.
Speaking with NAN on Thursday in Yola, NDLEA’s Commander in Adamawa, Mr. Yakubu Kibo, said that the command had taken strategic measures to comply with the federal government directive.
He said: “As you are aware, Adamawa has porous borders with Cameroon Republic; five of the seven local government areas affected by Boko Haram in the state are directly on the border with Cameroon.
“But we have intensified surveillance in collaboration with of sister agencies in these areas to frustrate any attempt to import the substance into the country.’’
Kibo said that the command recently destroyed over 14,000 tonnes of hard drugs, four tonnes of which were cough syrup with Codeine.
He gave an assurance that the command would frustrate all possible moves to bring the banned drugs into the state and the country in general.
The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has destroyed 14,360 kg of illegal drugs worth over N500 million and the Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the Agency has rehabilitated one hundred and eighty dependents persons.
The Adamawa state commander of the NDLEA, Mallam Musa Kibo said this on Monday when he led the command in destruction of the drugs in Yola.
According to Musa Kibo, “the NDLEA Chad made a total arrest of 502 suspects and 236 were successfully convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by the Federal High Court sitting in Yola.
“Two vehicles and an uncompleted building belonging to notorious drug dealers were forfeited to the Federal Government by the order of the Federal High Court.”
“The Drug Demand Reduction Unit of the Agency during the period has counseled, treated and rehabilitated one hundred and eighty drug dependents persons.”
According to Femi Oloruntoba, representative of the Chairman and Chief Executive, NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, lamented at the rate at which abuse of prescription drugs such as tramadol and codeine are growing.
“The composition of the drugs set ablaze also points to the growing abuse of pharmaceutics of drug prescription.
“These drugs are fast becoming prevalent than cannabis sativa, which accounts for only 2,734 kilograms of the 14360 kilograms of the drugs.”
Also, the Adamawa State Governor, Bindo Umaru Jibrilla, who was represented by his deputy, Martin Babale said the Adamawa state government will try to do everything within its power to support the NDLEA fight drug abuse in the state.
He said, “The fight against drug abuse is the collective responsibility of everyone and all hands must be on deck if the battle against drug abuse must be won.
“The Adamawa State government is ready to do all within its power to make the work of NDLEA easier in the state.”
