Between January and December 2023, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Osun State Command, arrested 252 people and seized 1,909.6920kg of illicit substances.
The Osun NDLEA also stated that 252 people, 214 men and 38 women, were apprehended throughout the period.
During the review period, the Command revealed that it was able to secure the convictions of 57 accused persons, who were sentenced to varied jail sentences ranging from three months to five years in prison, with 47 cases still ongoing.
This was revealed on Saturday by the NDLEA Osun State Commandant, Nnadi Chidi, in a statement signed by the Command Public Affairs Officer, Charles Odigie.
According to the statement, “drug supply reduction efforts led to the discovery and destruction of 9.5 hectares of Cannabis Farms (23.759 tones) of cannabis sativa at Ifedayo and Oriade local government areas within the same period.”
“In addition to balancing supply and demand reductions, the Command also began War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy on substance abuse suppression in the state.” The Agency conducted a brief counselling intervention with 79 People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) and also launched awareness/sensitization campaigns at religious buildings, schools, motor parks, markets, and workplaces, among other places.”
Refuting the allusion that Osun State is the second highest cannabis producing state in the South West, Nnadi stressed that though there was a slight increase in the use of ‘loud’ and other cannabis strains in the state, empirically and going by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) 2018 report, the state remained 5th in the prevalence of drug use and cultivation in the region.
He expressed gratitude to the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), and the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke for their unalloyed cooperation and determined stance to rid the state and Nigeria of substance abuse.
While assuring the people of the state of the agency’s resolve to make Osun uncomfortable for cannabis cultivators and dealers, he advised those peddling such narcotics to desist