The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said 14,480 suspected drug traffickers were arrested between January and October 2024 in connection with the seizure of 2.4m kgs of assorted illicit drugs seized by the anti-narcotics agency at seaports, airports, land borders and communities across the country.
Marwa said this on Wednesday while briefing members of the House of Representatives Committee on Narcotic Drugs who were on an oversight visit to the national headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja.
“Between January 1 and October 30, 2024, we recorded 14,480 arrests of drug offenders, including 15 drug barons. Within the same time, we have been able to secure 2,867 convictions in court.
“Our seizures in 10 months amounted to 2.4 million kilograms of illicit drugs, which also surpassed last year’s record. We successfully located and destroyed 547, 378 kilograms of cannabis plantations.
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“In the past 10 months, the agency counselled and rehabilitated 6, 655 drug users,” Marwa said.
He cited the largest single heroin seizure of 51.90kgs in the history of the agency at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in February.
Chairman of the House Committee on Narcotic Drugs, Abass Adigun, commended the leadership and personnel of the agency for their dedication to duty despite the often-challenging circumstances under which they operate.
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