Pubdate: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 Source: Punch (Nigeria) Copyright: 2009 The Punch Contact: http://www.punchng.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4933 Author: Ademola Oni OGUN, NDLEA DISAGREE OVER BURNING OF SEIZED DRUGS The Ogun State Government has called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to find 'appropriate' ways of disposing the drugs seized from drug barons and traffickers in the country. The State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, who spoke at the burning of 3,015 kilogrammes of cannabis, cocaine and heroine in Abeokuta on Friday, said the burning of exhibits in open air constituted environmental hazard. Represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Olukoya Adeleke-Adedoyin, the governor expressed worry that the burning of the exhibits had weakened the fight against climatic change. Daniel had earlier pledged the support of the state government for the agency and other security agencies in the state to curb crimes and illicit drug trade, saying the state had kept the youths busy with its job creation initiatives. The Director-General of the NDLEA, Chief Tunde Ipinmisho, however, disclosed that the agency was working in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment to construct incinerators in strategic parts of the country to dispose the exhibits. The incinerators, whose numbers Ipinmisho could not disclose, would soon come on stream before the end of the year. He added that the agency had initiated moves to collaborate with banks and financial institutions in the country to expose drug barons and deny them the opportunity to enjoy their illicit wealth. The NDLEA DG said, "We are liaising with banks and financial institutions to ensure that those who amass illicit wealth through drug trade are denied the chance to enjoy their illegal wealth. We will get to the roots of their wealth and curtail their excesses. "Our strategy is to cut off the source of illicit drug supplies thereby denying drug addicts access to drug. We will also embark on anti-drug enlightenment activities to educate people on the dangers of drug cultivation, trafficking and abuse." A breakdown of the 3,015 kg of the narcotic and psychotropic substances said to worth about N10million had 60 pinches of cocaine and 51 pinches of heroine while the largest chunk was cannabis, popularly known as India Hemp, which constituted 3,014 kg. The DG stated that 7,899 suspected drug offenders were arrested in 2008 while 336,442.84kgs of illicit drugs were seized in the corresponding period while 89,700.986kgs of drugs had been burnt this year with a street value of N400m. He disclosed that the anti-drug agency handled 3,227 drug counselling, treatment and rehabilitation cases with Ogun State accounting for 109 cases. Meanwhile, the Ogun State Commander of the NDLEA, Chinyere Obijuru, has expressed deep concern about the involvement of teenagers in drug peddling and abuse in the state. "These days, even primary school compounds and pupils are used to peddle drug and this unfortunate situation should not be allowed to degenerate as these youths are the future of our nation," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart