Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday said it was currently prosecuting two suspects for unlawful possession of cocaine.
The state Commander of the agency, Mr. Misbahu Idris, made the disclosure in Sokoto at a one-day sensitisation meeting with relevant stakeholders organised by Conflict Mitigation and Management Regional Council and NDLEA.
According to him, the suspects were being prosecuted at the Federal High Court in Sokoto,
He stated that some of the drugs commonly abused include narcotics, stimulants, alcohol, tobacco, depressants/sedative, cannabis sativa and inhalants, among others.
“Our society is associated with myriad of problems caused by drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
‘’This has resulted to negative impact on our ethics and values as an entity. The drug problem has led to the increase of crimes in the society,armed robbery, kidnapping, assault, rape and stealing, among others,” he said.
In a remark, Mr. Sanusi Baba-Ahmed of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Kware, lamented that over 60 per cent of the 500 patients recorded weekly at the hospital were drugs-related ailments.
Ahmed decried the revolving of patients at the hospital, saying, some of them were usually brought back by security agents.
Also speaking, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who spoke through the District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar, called for drastic actions to, redress the ugly trend.
The Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Salihu Maidaji, represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Usman Arzika, pledged the support of the assembly to make laws to curb the drugs menace.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Balarabe Kakale, announced the immediate formation of a Taskforce on Counterfeit drugs and drugs abuse.
In a remark, the Chairman of the council, Prof. Isa Maishanu, lamented that the drugs problem was a menace eating deep into the fabrics of the society.
‘’It is a problem that needs to be addressed globally and some evil forces are behind it,’’ he stressed.
