The transformative journey in the relentless fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse spearheaded by the Edo State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, is gathering momentum, Sunday Ehigiator writes
Edo State is among the major cannabis cultivating states in Nigeria, alongside Delta, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Ondo states. The national drug use survey that was conducted in 2018 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicates that Edo had a drug prevalence of 15 per cent, with about 330,000 persons aged between 15 and 64 who used drugs. This is slightly higher than the national prevalence of 14.4 per cent, translating to 14.3 million Nigerians who used drugs at the time of the study.
Expectedly, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), has tasked the Edo State commander of the agency to reduce the drug menace by building on the successes of his predecessors. The specific mandate is to enforce zero tolerance for drug trafficking in the state. Commander Ofoyeju’s approach to combating drug trafficking is multifaceted, characterised by a strict enforcement policy for illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.