National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Taraba State Command, has declared that the state is a hotbed for illicit drug consumption, with the age group between sixteen and forty-six being the most affected.
According to Guardian, Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nanzing Sallah, disclosed this while playing host to the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Taraba council.
Sallah cited that the prevalent drugs include Cannabis Sativa also known as Marijuana, Codeine, Tramadol, and Methamphetamine which also known as Ice, attributing the alarming trend to the activities of drug traffickers who use the state as a transit point.
He was also observed to have gone ahead to connect the high rate of criminal activities in the state to drug abuse.
The Commander expressed NDLEA’s commitment to tackling the issue, while reporting numerous arrests and seizures of hard drugs in the state.
He lauded the state government for its promise to establish a rehabilitation center, stressing the importance of such facilities in rehabilitating and counseling drug abusers.
Sallah who acknowledged the crucial role of the media in the fight against drugs, welcomed the Nigeria Union of Journalists, acknowledging their timely visit.
He vowed that the NDLEA was dedicated to partnering with the NUJ, believing that such a collaboration would help publicize the agency’s activities and restore the state’s tarnished image.
The NUJ state chairman, Mathew Jen, had earlier expressed the journalists’ intent to partner with the NDLEA.
Praising the agency’s efforts to combat drug abuse in the state, he assured the NDLEA of the journalists’ commitment to providing extensive coverage to achieve the common goal of a drug-free Taraba State.
