National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has commenced a total offensive against drug barons.

The declaration was made by Chairman/Chief Execu-tive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade, at the public destruction of exhibits at Badagry on Monday July 30, 2007 where a total of 2,811.17 kilogrammes of various hard drugs seized by the Lagos State Command of the Agency and duly forfeited by the law courts were publicly set ablaze.

Cannabis also known as Indian hemp, has the highest quantity with 2,516.202kilogrammes. Cocaine is next with 243.408kilogramme and 79 Pinches, while heroin is 51.560 kilogrammes.

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The Story of Nigeria's Hemp Market

Worldwide, cannabis is outlawed and effort is being made to rid the globe of the intoxicant but in Nigeria, the plant remains a consumer delight encouraging its cultivation both for consumption and export. Weekly Spectator takes you on a sojourn through Akerele in Surulere, Lagos, one of the country's thriving hemp markets and the dangers of failing to nip the cancer in the bud.

This is the dream of a hemp dealer; to see the sun rise daily in its innate rosy magic while officials go to work and market women hone their wit for the day's bargain. He cherishes the blessed deluge. Students, teenagers and adults, prostitutes, urchins, police officers and soldiers flock to his stall for their daily fix of spiff. And Tajudeen Sule is up to the task.

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Nothing amplifies the stark reality that Nigerian laws are too slack to have any meaningful impact on the fight against the peddling in hard drugs than the recent contrasting fortunes of two Nigerians, Tochi Amara Iwuchukwu and Mrs. Hassanat Akinwande.

While Tochi, a teenage footballer was hanged in Singapore for possession of cocaine, Akinwande alias Wumi, a prominent actress was sentenced to a three-year jail term with an option of fine by a Nigerian court for a similar offence.

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Federal Capital Territory (FCT) command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 141 suspects and obtained 35 convictions last year.

The commandant, Mrs Victoria Egbase, told our correspondent yesterday in Gwagwalada that six of the suspects were female.

She said that the suspects were arrested for various drug abuses and its related offences, adding that 35 of the suspects had been prosecuted and convicted.

Egbase said that the command also made a total seizure of 933.7kgs of "intoxicating substances" last year.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA has said the agency will no longer hesitate to confiscate any land used to cultivate marijuana and hand it over to the government through the instrument of the Federal High Court as it is the practice presently with moveable property.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Ahmadu Giade made this declaration in Benin, the Edo State capital over the weekend while presiding over the public destruction of 31,813 kilogrammes (32 tons) of marijuana seized and forfeited by the Edo State command of the agency.

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Despite the efforts of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at curbing the increase in the use and sales of marijuana, it seems more people are getting addicted to it, writes Kunle Awosiyan.

NIGERIA's booming marijuana trade is more than the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) can handle, Commander Okey Ihebom, the agency's commander in Edo state, a centre of the trade, told a major newspaper last week. An undermanned, under-equipped, and under-budgeted anti-drug agency can't compete with rising domestic and international demand and few other economic options for northern farmers, he said. In its 2006 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, the US State Department noted that "marijuana/cannabis is grown all over Nigeria, but mainly in central and northern states. Cultivation is generally on small fields in remote areas. Its market is concentrated in West Africa and Europe; none is known to have found its way to the United States. However, domestic use is becoming more widespread. The NDLEA has destroyed marijuana fields, but has no regular, organized eradication programme in place. There are no reliable figures to determine cr! op size and yields."

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Zamfara State has received petitions from members of the public against seven top government officials running for various elective offices.

The NDLEA Commandant in Zamfara, Mr Ibrahim Abdul, told our correspondent yesterday in Gusau that the officials, who had resigned their appointments to contest, were being accused of being drug addicts.

He maintained that any of them found guilty of the accusation, would not be allowed to scale through the joint screening of candidates to be conducted by INEC, SSS, police, NDLEA and other security agencies.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed concern over the high level of illicit drug activities taking place in Ogun State.

The chairman of the agency, Mr Ahmadu Giade, represented by its Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Femi Oloruntoba, disclosed this at a public destruction of drugs by the state command in Abeokuta.

He said: "The quantity of drugs we are destroying today and the quick succession of destruction is a clear indication of the high level of illicit drug activities taking place in Ogun."

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ogun State has set ablaze a 35-hectare farmland cultivated with Indian hemp.

Commander of the agency, Nicholas Salu-Walter told newsmen, Saturday, in Abeokuta that the plantation was discovered at a border community between Ogun and Osun states.

According to him, three suspects were also arrested in connection with the plantation.

"It took my men, numbering 30, about 18 hours, to cut down the hemp trunks and burn the weeds," he said.

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Yenagoa--The Bayelsa State government says it will continue to assist the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the state.

Governor Goodluck Jonathan made the remark at the closing ceremony of a weeklong sensitization and enlightenment campaigns and advocacy against drug abuse, trafficking and drug induced crimes in the state at the Yenagoa sports complex. Jonathan who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi noted that although drugs are therapeutic agents that play an important role in the lives of human beings, they could make or mar life depending on how they are used.

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Since his return to power on May 29, 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo has worked tirelessly to restore Nigeria's dignity in the international arena. The nation's integrity had been eroded following a long period of military dictatorship.

In the course of this campaign, the president had travelled far and wide around appealing to foreign investors, many of whom had left the country, to return. He had also pleaded for Nigeria's debt relief.

The president's effort had, to a large extent yielded the desired result with about 60 per cent relief granted and 12.4 billion dollars paid up to enable Nigeria have a final exit from the dragnet of the Paris Club of creditors early this year.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 25 hectares of Indian hemp farm and arrested four persons at Aniwen village of Wukari Local Government of Taraba.

The state Commander of the agency, Alhaji Baba Husseini, who announced this in Jalingo on Wednesday, said the suspects would soon be arraigned for cultivating hard drugs.

Husseini said some farms in eight more local government areas of the state had been discovered to be producing the drug and that the command would destroy all of them.

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Lagos -- The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday destroyed about 16.3 metric tones of cocaine valued at about N50bn regarded as the single largest seizure in the whole of Africa.

The NDLEA operatives had on June 8 impounded a container load of cocaine at the Tin Can Island Port. The banned substance was said to have been imported into the country from Peru by a yet to be ascertained group of persons.

The destruction came just as the Justice Minister and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) said the Federal Government reform programme was to rid the agency of corrupt NDLEA officials whom he claimed are not conscientious but chose to aid and abet those they ordinarily should direct their offence at.

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Indian hemp became a specimen of study recently in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital. The study attracted hundreds of students, teachers, pharmacists, bureaucrats and who-is-who in Akwa Ibom State, during celebration of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Probably relying on the theme of the celebration, Children and Drugs, and more so, on the attached slogan "Drugs are not Child's Play", the state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had ensured that secondary school students and other youth organizations filled the governor's office annex -- venue of the celebrations, where Mrs. Dora Ebong, a pharmacist, brought a live Indian hemp plant not only to show to those who never saw the colour and shape of the leaves before, but also to tell everybody that the seemingly innocuous plant was more dangerous than poison.

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Youths against Drug Abuse (YADA), a non-governmental organization has identified youth as the most vulnerable to illicit drug addiction and trafficking in the country.

The lead coordinator of YADA, Dr. Charles Ejiofor, said this during the United Nation's day against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking with theme, "Drugs are not child's play" held at the British Council, Kano.

Dr. Charles observed that children between the ages of 4 to 10 should not be left aside in the war against drug abuse as they can be coerced into the menace through their addicted parents. The lead coordinator however, opined that the fight against the menace among youth is an uphill task only if the sectors responsible for combating the abuse would work tirelessly and parents should be supportive in the aspect of teaching their wards good moral values that would take them into adulthood.

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Peer group influence, lack of parental control, child abuse, psychological and as well as initiation, truancy, affluence and access to drugs have been described as factor that influence drug abuse among youths.

The Cross River State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Rowland Olusegun, dropped the hint in Calabar, Monday, while presenting a key note address at this year's United Nations International Day Celebration against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

Mr Olusegun contended that Nigeria, by dint of her strategic location was noted as major transit point that facilitates the movement of hard drugs to Europe and America, but regretted that the reverse was the case today as the consumption of narcotic has permeated into every facet of our society.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) command in Akwa Ibom State yesterday marked this year's United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Drugs with a call on Nigerians to prevent and correct drug abuse.

Speaking in Uyo at a ceremony to mark the day, the state commander of NDLEA, Mrs. Florence Dan Archibong, said this year's theme, "Children and Drugs" and slogan, "Drugs are not Child's Play," aims at meeting the need for children to desist from drug abuse.

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UMUAHIA--THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 124 persons suspected to be dealers on hard drugs within the last one month in Abia State, while 41 kilogrammes of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were also seized within the same period.

Last Thursday alone, the agency arrested ten suspects and most of them were said to be traders at the Ariaria market who have abandoned their trade to face the drug business. Abia State commander of NDLEA, Mr. Justice Arinze who gave the figure while briefing newsmen in Aba on Monday as part of activities to mark the United Nations' International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking explained that eighty per cent of those arrested are drug addicts who have been counseled and rehabilitated, while the remaining twenty per cent are at various stages of investigation and prosecution.

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Nigeria Drug and Law Enforcement Agency [NDLEA] commander for Benue State yesterday, appealed to the state government to come to its assistance in fighting hard drugs in the state.

The statement which was made by the commander of NDLEA, Mr. Hatsina Shehu Bwala, at the conference hall of the agency to commemorate this year's United Nations international Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, warned that the state is not exempted from the inherent dangers of the illicit sales and consumption of hard drugs and psychotropic substances.

At the centre, the commander presented a paper, entitled, "Children and Drugs" with the slogan "Drugs are no child's play."

He disclosed that the youths, who were between 15 and 35 years, were those involved in the use of drugs.

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United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan yesterday challenged, parents, educational institutions, civil society groups and governments around the world to intensify efforts in the area of creating greater awareness on the devastating effects of narcotic drugs on the world's population, saying taking drugs or not was a matter of choice yet, too many people were not armed with the relevant information that could help them make informed choices.

Latest research on drug abuse indicates that 200 million people or five per cent of the global population aged between 15 --64 have consumed illicit drugs at least once in the last twelve months while children between the tender ages of four to ten have also been identified to come under the scourge.

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