The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is to collaborate with all stakeholders including traditional rulers and community gatekeepers to ensure that the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking is stamped out from communities across the country.
The NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, made this known on Friday in Abuja when he received the Dein of Agbor, Benjamin Gbenoba on a visit.
”We’re at the moment deploying our personnel to the local government areas to establish our presence at the grassroots to further our advocacy against substance abuse and enforce the law against those dealing in illicit drugs at that level.
”Towards that, we met with the leadership of ALGON to make this process seamless and we welcome the support and partnership with all stakeholders for successful implementation of all our drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, through a whole of society approach”, Marwa said.
Earlier, the traditional ruler sought partnership with the NDLEA to end the activities of drug dealers in his kingdom.
”We have been having some issues with drug dealers in Agbor. We’ve tried to handle it once or twice, but we’d like to at least be able to provide some land to have NDLEA come to Agbor.
”My main hope is Gen Marwa right here. Everything he touches turns to gold. Since he came on board at NDLEA, you people were reinvigorated.
”I have seen that since he came on board, the drug dealers are now more hesitant, and we need more of that.
”So, we continue to learn from his experience and continue to make sure that this Agency is strengthened as much as we can.
This, he said would be from the devastating effects of illicit substances destroying the lives of youths and adults all over the world.
He added that his partnership with NDLEA was also to send a strong message to drug dealers that their time is up in his kingdom.
“You deserve to be incarcerated because that intelligence can also lead you to be selling houses or to be selling goods. Do something that doesn’t affect people negatively.
“Because every drug dealer doesn’t want their children taking these hard drugs. But they don’t mind their neighbour next door taking such drugs. It is destroying us as a nation.
“Kidnappers are now using these illicit drugs to go about their nefarious activities. The reduction of it in our society will bring down the crime rate, robberies, and so on.
“So, my message to the drug dealers, beware, you are on notice; we do not want you in Agbor; we do not want you in our country.”
Gbenoba said “for those who are taking drugs, once you have taken them, it is a life-or-death decision you are making. You can take it for the first time, and you can die.
“You destroy your family, and you destroy the people around you. So, as much as possible, choose life over death on these drugs,” he admonished.”(NAN)
By Ibironke Ariyo
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