Drug Trafficking: Building up reactionary forces against widening networks of sharp practices
The rampant seizure of hard drugs and the arrest of their traffickers have recently shown how deep seated the escapade has assumed. It is now glaring the escapade has grown as an estate of misadventure which has well established a wide network of operations. It is apparent over the years that the approaches applied to curtail the sharp practice have not proven firm responsiveness to deter more Nigerians from venturing into activities within the chain of the misadventure.
Recently, as the strong connectivity between the proliferation and consumption of hard drugs and security threats becomes more glaring, the call for a clampdown on the menace amidst heightening of insecurity challenges have become resounding. However, while arrests and seizures continue to assume broader dimension with the efforts of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently, it is only observable that the profile of the venture continues to widen as continued arrests and seizures have not seen situations revealing a breakdown of the networks of the misadventure.
In a statement on Sunday signed by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA disclosed that in the previous week it intercepted various drugs with cumulative weight of over 153, 256.876 kilograms. The Agency also disclosed that it arrested no less than 663 suspects in various States within the same period. It was disclosed that among the 663 suspects arrested were a youth corps member, a police officer and a soldier suspected, all suspected to be fake. The statement revealed the NDLEA operatives had raided notorious drug joints in Lagos, Abuja, Benue and other parts of the Country last week. The statement revealed while a suspected fake Assistant Superintendent of Police Joshua Yusuf, who claimed to be serving in Kano, was arrested along Gwagwalada expressway conveying 45.5kg of Cannabis, a suspected fake soldier, Abel John, was arrested along Apir-Makurdi-Aliade road, with 3.5kg of cannabis on Wednesday, Oct. 13; just as in Benue State, a youth corps member, Paul Ndubuisi, was arrested among others with different quantities of drugs.
The statement read partly: “In Lagos, the notorious drug haven, Akala in Mushin area, was on Friday, Oct. 15, raided by a combined team of 70 NDLEA operatives and 30 soldiers, in a joint operation code named ‘ Operation Still Waters.’ Not less that 27 suspects were arrested, while various drugs such as cocaine, Tramadol, Rohypnol and cannabis sativa, with a cumulative weight of 2,463.876 kg, were seized. A day earlier, operatives also raided drug joints in Ojo and Maryland areas of the state (Lagos), where six persons were arrested and different quantities of drugs seized. This followed another raid of Alhaji Lasisi street, Idioro, Mushin, as well as Okota in Oshodi-Isolo area during which 12 suspects were arrested and over 165kg of assorted illicit drugs recovered. Three suspects were arrested during raids on Dabba and Luku village, Kaiama Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, where over 64kg drugs were recovered on Wednesday, Oct. 13 In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives in their numbers stormed the forest reserve along Uso Road, Ise-Orun LGA. They destroyed over 150,000 kilograms of cannabis being harvested on 40 hectares of land during an operation that lasted more than three days. The operation, which began on Tuesday Oct. 12, continued till Sunday, Oct. 17.” he saidThe spokesperson said that no fewer than 615 suspects were arrested and illicit drugs, with a total weight of 3394.2031 kilograms, recovered in raids across other states.”
While it has been argued that the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a contributor to recent upscaling of drug trafficking and its abuse, it is known that new dynamics such as the course of pushing for the legalisation of cultivating cannabis in Nigeria, has become topical issues. Recently, on the nexus between drug abuse and insecurity threats, the NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, had been quoted: “Perpetrators will go through the criminal justice system, with their fundamental human rights being strictly upheld. Against the backdrop of the strong linkage between illicit drug consumption and insecurity, it is worthy of note that Nigeria made its first seizure of 74.119 kg of Captagon brand of amphetamine, presumably destined for use, to fuel insurgency and other violent crimes and criminalities, which Nigeria is currently grappling with.Nigeria is happy to report that the EU funded, UNODC sponsored Cannabis Cultivation Survey is expected to bring to the fore the full extent of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria and make it easier to target measures to contain this perennial menace. It is worthy of mention here that one of the challenges of the pandemic is the proliferation of online sale of drug cookies and use of courier services to move illicit drugs.
“However, we were able to intercept, trace and dismantle most of the drug cells involved. This constitutes a clarion call for all nations of the world to unite in adversity by taking concerted and well-coordinated actions at national, regional and international levels to address and counter the world drug problems, through evolving drug control policies, effective crime prevention nechanisms and complete overhaul of the criminal justice system.”
The place of revisiting the fourth edition of the Drug Control Master Plan 2021 to 2025 which seeks to address four thematic pillars of supply reduction, demand reduction, access to controlled medicines for medical purposes and coordination and governance, is important. The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign requires the force of formidable structures to strategically propel institutional responses to the campaign.
While it is non-negotiable for NDLEA saddled with eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard drugs to heighten their operations within the framework of the nation’s international airports, seaports and border crossings, it is paramount that such efforts be fortified with more strategic approaches that embrace the contributions of other institutions including the social frameworks of non governmental organisations, civil society organisations, educational, religious and cultural institutions to propel a wide range campaign giving expression to elaborate structures of responses to accommodate not only the use of force, but also the frameworks of thoughts to raise standards that deter perpetrators and frown against the spread of the resort to drug trafficking in the society. Hence, building up reactionary forces that are hostile for the escapades to thrive, and by results, its chains of sharp practices becoming unattractive. Thus, while force should serve as a powerful deterrent, optimising enlightenment to shape thought patterns against the menace becomes important to get the force of the populace against the mischievous estate.
