Nigeria arrested no fewer than 8,634 suspected drug traffickers from January to August 2021, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd), has disclosed.
He revealed this to the Human Rights, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Committee of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Maria, who spoke on Tuesday, said the NDLEA also made seizures of more than N100 billion in drugs and cash over the period.
“Our consistent targeting of drug trafficking organisations has resulted in the arrest of 8,634 suspected drug traffickers and the seizure of over N100 billion in cash and drugs,” he said, adding: “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.
Marwa said the unexpected emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, no doubt, had further accentuated the scourge of drug trafficking and related crimes globally.
He added: “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.
