NDLEA arrests 150 drug suspects in Jigawa

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Jigawa State Command, has disclosed arrest of 150 drug suspects in three months.

The agency’s commandant in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who spoke with The Guardian in Dutse yesterday, said many of those arrested have been taken to court with convictions also secured.

“I am just about three months in Jigawa and we have arrested almost 150 drug suspects. Many of them have been arraigned in court and we have even secured many convictions”, he said.

According to Abdullahi, perpetration of crime and drug abuse are directly perpendicular to each other, as no person in his normal sense will delve into crimes without the influence of drugs.

He said as a prelude to the 2011 elections, the NDLEA carried out several operations, which led to the arrest of 88 suspects.

The NDLEA commandant said 28 of the suspects were found to be directly involved in drug peddling while others were found at various joints taking drugs.

“Those arrested with drugs were kept in custody so that they would not constitute a barrier to the success of the general elections. NDLEA has started earlier before the election and also carried out many operations during the polls.

“Our activities impacted on the elections positively because hardly was there a case of people causing instability at the polling units during the election as those causing trouble are the drug-users and most of them had been incarcerated and were in our custody in such a way that they could not cause any problem”, Abdullahi said.