Nation
NDLEA seizes 9.9 million kg illicit drugs, arrests 57,792 suspects
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it seized 9,959,340.9 kilograms of hard drugs and arrested 57,792 suspects between January 2021 and December 2024.
The agency in a document released by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said it recorded 10,572 convictions within the period under the review.
According to Babafemi, 22,047 persons were counselled and sent to rehabilitation centres.
“Total summary of arrests, seizures, prosecution, and DDR from January 2021 to December 2024: Arrest, 57,792 including 65 drug barons; seizures, 9,959,340.9kg, convictions 10,572, counselled and rehab, 22,047, war against drug abuse in schools, etc, 9,239, number of participants 3,333, 678, cannabis farms destruction, 1,229.3,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, the document showed that there was a surge in the seizure of these hard drugs in 2024, as in the year alone, a total of 2,726, 837.80kg were seized and 17,670 suspects were arrested. In 2023, 1,606,799.1kg of drugs were seized with 13,664 arrests made.
Also, in 2024, the agency secured 3,427 convictions, counseled and rehabilitated 8,129 persons, provided 1,808,116 public enlightenment, and conducted 3,812 WADA lectures in schools. Additionally, 220 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed.
“In 2023 a total of 3,412 convictions were secured, 10,904 counseled and sent to rehab, WADA programmes were 2, 541, public enlightenment was 987, 776 while 206, hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed,” the agency said.
The year 2022 also witnessed a surge in drug seizures with 2,145,336kg seized and a total of 14,152 arrests made comprising 13,026 males and 1,126 females.
In 2022, there were 2,348 convictions, “the number of persons that were counseled and sent to rehab were 2,352, consisting 2,200 males and 152 females, WADA advocacy in schools, etc were 2,253 while a total number of 319,717 persons participated.”
“For 2021, we made 12,306 arrests, seized 3,480,368kg of hard drugs, and convicted 1,385 suspects including 1,335 males and 50 females. We counseled and rehabilitated 662 persons, 630 males and 32 females, and 405.704 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed,” Babafemi stated.
Reacting to the surge in the seizures for 2024, the Western Zone Secretary of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Stanley Ezenga, said people tilt towards drugs because of the returns on investment.
“So we all know that one of the reasons why people do add drugs is because of the returns on investment, you know if it gets through. Because we know that it’s a maximum risk, maximum returns. So people take to the importation of hard drugs, one, because of the economic situation,” Ezenga said.
He commended the efforts of NDLEA in the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria.
“But that notwithstanding, I equally align with the NDLEA that no matter how hard we try to conceal the drugs, they will still detect it, and they will arrest you and get you, you know, punished accordingly. But then, beyond that, we know that hard drugs are a menace to society. So we cannot say why the increase, but we already know that. We have already observed that there is an increase, you know, in the importation of drugs,” he said.
He said there could not have been an increase, since there is increased awareness that when such drugs come in, the culprits will be arrested.
On his part, the National Protocol Officer of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Riwane Amuni, blamed the get-rich-quick syndrome in the country for the menace.
He said Nigerians will always look for ways to get rich. “It’s just the urge to get rich quickly that is pushing people to commit all those crimes. That’s what I feel,” Amuni said.
