The Gombe State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has arrested 86 suspected persons and confiscated 2,125.204Kg of hard drugs in the state.
The State Commander, Aliyu Adole said 1,293.424 kg of hard drugs were made of Indian hemp while psychotropic substance made up the other 831.78kg.
He spoke in Gombe while commenting on the activities of the agency in the state during the outgoing year.
Adole said this yearโs arrests reflected increase in the quantity of drugs and a decrease in the number of persons
He said the impounded cannabis increased because the command was able to burst the syndicate of individual farmers, who plant Indian hemp in the villages bordering other states.
He said the period in review indicated that about 84 percent drugs seized were found with people from 21 to 40 years old as against 80 percent the same age bracket that was arrested last year.
He said 46 of those arrested had been convicted and the other 40 cases were pending while 14 clients (drug addicts) were being treated
The NDLEA Commander said furnishing their rehabilitation centre and the fact that the agency is still housed in a rented property remained their greatest challenge
He appreciated those that have thus far given the agency useful information but observed that people were usually hesitant about providing information because those dealing on drugs buy their ways into the peopleโs hearts through magnanimous gestures
โMost people are hiding this information because the drug peddlers are philanthropists; they give them money and so they not will release information about them. That is our real challenge; we need information to nab the drug peddlers,โ Adole said.
