By Debora Coker
Benin – The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo says it secured 62 conviction in 2016.
The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Buba Wakawa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday that the offenders were convicted for various drugs offences.
Wakawa said that the convictions were 100 per cent higher than what was secured in 2015, adding that there were still 145 cases pending in Federal High Court.
He also said the command arrested 318 suspects – 260 males and 58 females – within the period under review against 337 suspects in 2015.
The commander said the Agency seized 59,132kg of various drugs in 2016 as against 36, 255kg in 2015.
He said the seizures, include, 59, 008 kg of suspected Cannabis Sativa, 390kg psychotropic substances, 34.2kg suspected Methamphetamine, 0.0256 grammes of suspected cocaine and 0.0032kg suspected heroine.
Wakawa also told NAN that 32 farmlands measuring about 39,000 hectares were destroyed, while 21 vehicles and 10 motorcycles were seized.
He said the Agency had 185, 004 kg in its custody and had secured a court order to publicly burn 106, 428kg of different types of illicit drugs.
The commander further said that 87 vehicles and 29 motorcycles have been forfeited to the Federal Government and awaiting public auctioning.
Wakawa said that 113 suspects were counselled within the period as against 184 in 2015.
He restated the agency resolve to rid Edo or reduce drastically illicit drug trafficking in the state.
