BEVERLY HILLS, CA, December 17, (THEWILL) – The Borno State Government has expressed concern over the number of illegal drug routes in the state as it lamented that there are over 1,000 of such routes in the state.
It also blamed the increasing rate of terrorism in the area on increased drug use by the youths.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan, disclosed this in Maiduguri, the state capital, on Tuesday while showcasing the achievements of the State Drug Abuse Control Committee.
Lawan, who is also the chairman of the committee, lamented that the illegal routes are not known to the authorities thus making it difficult for the government to rid the state of illicit drugs.
He expressed shock at what he described as the dynamism and sophistication of illicit drug dealers and traffickers , saying they constantly change their strategies in order to beat security checks.
He however assured that the government is now on top of the situation as it has devised ways to track and arrest them.
The Commissioner said the activities of the committee are part of the methods adopted by the Governor Kashim Shettima administration to solve the problem and restore the state to the path of peace, tranquility and socio-economic development.
“Through its intelligence gathering and operations, the sub-committees carried out raids in areas identified as black spots within the Maiduguri metropolis where such illicit drugs are commonly dispensed and consumed. The raids accounted for several arrests as well as seizures of drugs from the suspects,” he said.
Lawan put the total number of illegal drugs seized so far at 6,089.575kg, saying they include 4,780.565 kg of cannabis; 979,010 kg of psycho; and 330.000 kg of cocaine, while 61 suspects were arrested and 13 charged to court and convicted to various jail terms.
The Commissioner said a suspect, Yahaya Usman, was arrested with mixed substance of cocaine weighing 230 kg and one Pastor Moses Edon Fawale also arrested with illicit drugs weighing 1,959 kg.
“The committee also following a tip off arrested the duo of Sunday Adebayo and Abu Imah at Jimtilo village in the outskirt of Maiduguri, with a large quantity of Indian hemp weighing 2,747.58 kg. The arrest resulted in the temporary forfeiture of a long lorry truck and a warehouse with four flats of two-bedrooms each along the Pompomari Industrial layout, which is used by the suspects as warehouse to stock their illicit drugs brought into the state,” he said.
He disclosed that the committee also counseled 42 persons who were indirectly linked with drug businesses after they were arrested and subsequently freed after interrogation.
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