THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Musa Bello, has sought closer collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking of illicit substances in Abuja.
Bello said this during a visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Mohammed Buba Marwa, at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja.
He commended the NDLEA boss for what he called the impactful job he was doing against drug cartels in Nigeria.
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The minister said, “The nation is very proud of you, especially for upscaling the fight against drug abuse beyond just arresting people on the streets and communities, but going to the roots to arrest the big-time players, producers, and traffickers.
“You have sent a very strong message with the profile of your arrests and prosecution. This has encouraged citizens to give information and sent fears to the drug cartels.”
He promised to work closely with the NDLEA to stop the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in the FCT.
Marwa, in his welcome remarks, thanked the minister for his steadfast support for the agency and commended him for his excellent work in the nation’s capital territory.
He said the NDLEA had remained steadfast with outstanding performance in drug control efforts to save the youths, families, and communities from the drug scourge.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has taken the lead, and in our efforts to actualise the presidential mandate of eliminating the menace, we need more support from all stakeholders and every citizen,” the NDLEA boss stated.
Marwa urged the minister to give more logistics support to the agency to effectively carry out its mandate in the FCT, adding that the agency had remained on the offensive against drug cartels in the federal capital territory, which he disclosed had a 10 per cent drug use.
He confirmed the arrest of 142 suspects, conviction of 53 offenders, rehabilitation of 66 users, and seizure of 760 kilogrammes of illicit substances in the FCT within the first three months of the year.
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