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| Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom |
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has charged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to take the fight against the cultivation and usage of illicit drugs in the state to all nooks and crannies through concerted sensitisation campaigns that will educate the youths on the dangers of these drugs to society.
He gave the charge at the public destruction of 28.01 tonnes of seized drug exhibits by the agency in Makurdi.
Gov Ortom, who was represented by his deputy, Engr Benson Abounu, commended the agency for the fight against illicit drugs consumption in the state, and the seizure of the large quantity of the killer drugs.
He frowned at the surge in the production of cannabis, which has suddenly become a major preoccupation of some farmers in the state, while admonishing those involved to desist.
According to the governor, drug abuse constitutes a major menace in our society because it fuels kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, cultism, youth restiveness and even the insurgency in Northeast Nigeria.
He pledged the continuous support of the state to the agency to enable it rid the society of all illicit drugs.
Earlier, the chairman, Chief Executive, NDLEA, Col. Mustapha Abdalla (rtd) expressed the agency’s gratitude to Gov Ortom for his support, adding that the public destruction of the seized drugs, is a vital operational exercise of NDLEA in its counter narcotic effort.
NDLEA State Commander, Mrs Florence Ezeonye, said the exercise is to show transparency and organizational sincerity.
