The Speaker of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Y Suleiman has said members are worried at the rapid increase in drug abuse in the state.
Suleiman described the report of the increase in the consumption of illicit drugs as worrisome and alarming
He spoke when he received the Commandant of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bauchi State Command, Segun Oke in his office.
“If you compare the statistics of seizures of illegal drugs by the Agency in 2016 which is 905.501 kilograms with that of 2020 which 7,729.036 kilograms you can see the alarming increase. This calls for more effort by the agency to intensify intelligence gathering and other strategies to curb the menace.”
Suleiman promised to partner with the agency to curb the menace.
The Speaker pledged that the assembly would consider enacting laws to curb the selling and consumption of illegal drugs in the state.
Earlier in his remark, the commandant said the visit was to alert the assembly on the rise of drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
He said his agency had seized 7,729.036 kilograms in 2020 as against 427.895 kilograms seized in 2019 and 905.501 kilograms seized in 2016.
He called for collaboration between the NDLEA and the assembly to organise enlightenment, sensitisations programmes on the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking.
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