NDLEA Secures 24 Convictions In Katsina

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has secured 24 convictions in Katsina State in the last one month.

According to a statement on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Mustapha Maikudi, the convictions were made by the Katsina division of the Federal High Court.

Maikudi explained that this was part of the efforts by the NDLEA to curb the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state.

He explained that the convicts bagged various jail terms ranging from three months to two years, depending on the crime they were convicted for.

One of the convicts, he said, was one Dan Umma arrested with Cannabis Sativa and psychotropic substances and sentenced to six months in the correctional facility.

Another convict, Rabiu Abdullahi arrested with psychotropic substances, was sentenced to 12 months, while Saifullahi Abdullahi arrested with Cannabis Sativa got 48 months sentence.

Maikudi said the three convicts and two others are currently serving their jail terms at correctional service centers in the state.

This comes two weeks after the command said at least 158 suspected drug dealers and users have been arrested in Katsina State – from January to June.

Of the figure, the NDLEA State Commander, Momodu Sule, said 120 drug users were counselled under the ‘Drug Demand Reduction Brisk Counselling programme’.

He added that a total of 361.15kg of assorted hard drugs have also been seized with 16 convictions prosecuted as at the time he briefed reporters on June 22.

Sule restated his determination to deal with the scourge of drug abuse in the state and called for more support and understanding from all stakeholders to win the fight against drug abuse.

According to him, banditry and drugs are the twin challenges bedevilling the North West and all hands need to be on deck to address the drug challenge in particular.

“There is no crime, I repeat, there is no crime that does not have an element of drug inside, even the much talk about corruption; so if we fight drug, we will fight insecurity,” the NDLEA Commander said.