Pubdate: Tue, 14 Jan 2008
Source: This Day (Nigeria)
Copyright: 2008 This Day.
Contact:  http://www.thisdayonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2870
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

CANNABIS, BIGGEST DRUG CHALLENGE IN AFRICA - GIADE

The  Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), 
Ahmadu Giade said at the weekend  that Cannabis otherwise known as 
Indian hemp is the biggest drug challenge in the country and the 
African continent.

Giade made the declaration when the Agency publicly destroyed a total 
of 101,652.24 kilogrammes of narcotics which is about 102 metric 
tonnes in Anambra, Delta and Edo States .

Edo State Command where 75,896 kilogrammes of hard drugs were 
destroyed has the largest quantity. This is followed by Delta State 
and Anambra State Commands where 22,700 kilogrammes and 3,056.24 
kilogrammes of narcotics were set ablaze. The public destruction is 
part of the Agency's effort to provide a drug free society for all.

Giade, decried the dangers of hard drugs to humanity and stressed 
that the destruction exercises is to spite drug barons and also to 
demonstrate the superiority of law enforcement agents over illicit 
drug dealers.

According to Giade "the threat of narcotic drugs is palpable. It is 
difficult to ignore this peril starring at us in the face. Cannabis 
control constitutes the biggest drug challenge in Nigeria and Africa 
. This is because it grows effortlessly in the country. This drug has 
the propensity to destroy our society but we equally have the 
capacity to subdue it".

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State in his goodwill message said that 
it is sad that some indigenes of the State are getting involved in 
the illicit drug trade when they are highly respected as good 
business men and women.

"Anambra citizen has no business with illicit drugs and I assure you 
that the State will partner with the NDLEA to ensure that Anambra 
State and by implication the entire country is completely drug free"he said.

Giade pointed out that illegal drug business is a covert affair that 
makes drug control a very cumbersome task demanding enormous 
resources, training and dexterity. The NDLEA boss said that no drug 
baron wants his drugs seized let alone destroyed because they have 
paid so much to acquire them.

He revealed that the Edo State Command discovered and destroyed 27 
hectares of cannabis farmlands within the last ten months. Similarly, 
in 2007, seventeen Indian hemp farms covering 9. 43 acres were also 
destroyed in communities within Delta State . This according to him 
is an indication that cannabis is struggling for space with 
legitimate food crops in the States.

He lamented the unhealthy development and promised that urgent 
measures will be taken to right the wrong. The NDLEA will continue to 
do what it loves doing, which is drug enlightenment campaign, arrest, 
investigation, prosecution and public destruction of seized and 
forfeited drugs. No effort will be spared in sustaining this feat.

It will be recalled that Edo State Command destroyed 31,000 
kilogrammes of Indian hemp in January 2007. The fact that about 
76,000 kilogrammes of cannabis is being destroyed in barely one year 
after shows that the threat of hard drugs is real and must be tackled 
with all sense of seriousness.

The events were witnessed by royal fathers, representatives of 
military and paramilitary organizations, students and other stakeholders.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom