AT KOFA KWAYA, NDLEA INTENSIFIES FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS

Thursday August 2, 2007 would have gone like any other day in the
ancient city of Katsina but the normal serenity was broken for a
noble cause. The road leading to Jibia, an international border town
between Nigeria and Niger Republic was unusually busy. As early as
six o'clock in the morning, trucks carrying various sacks were seen
plying the road as if it was a neighboring village market day.

One would have thought that the goods belong to traders going to the
market in anticipation of jumbo sales, but that thinking was however
far from reality. The heavy presence of armed security personnel
accompanying the goods may have also betrayed the fact that the
goods are the normal market commodities. In fact, it was
the evacuation of various narcotic drugs and
psychotropic substances from the strong room of the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) situated in a popular area
called Kofa Kwaya (gate of drugs) in Katsina.

What a coincidence that the agency's office is situated in the gate
of drugs. Fortunately, the agency has practically demonstrated this
unique location by closing the gate against the deadly wares of drug
dealers. For more that six hours the officers were busy conveying
the seized drugs to where they will be destroyed.

At about 2:30 pm, the podium where the drugs were heaped to the high
heavens was set, and one after the other the venue of the historic
event of public destruction of exhibits by the NDLEA was filled with
very prominent dignitaries. The presence of Governor Ibrahim Shehu
Shema pepped -up the ceremony.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA Ahmadu Giade beat the
imagination of his audience when he announced the destruction of
4,608.46 kilogrammes of various hard drugs. Out of this number,
Indian hemp had the largest quantity with 4,280.83 kilogrammes.
Psychotropic substances are 327.63 kilogrammes while cocaine is 34 pinches.

The NDLEA boss who described the good people of Katsina as highly
disciplined and reputable business men and women, involved in
farming and trading in legitimate commodities even in the ancient
time of trans-Sahara trade observed that "it is amazing that the
command had made this gargantuan seizures of Indian hemp when it
is obviously not a producing state".

According to Giade, it is in strong defence of these cherished
historical values for which the state is known that the agency has
stepped up its narcotic control measures. He emphasised that the
future of youths will not be allowed to be manipulated by the
sinister activities of drug barons who are enemies of the state and
must be resisted.

Shema was shocked that such a large quantity of drugs could be
seized in the state. The governor therefore pledged full support for
the NDLEA in making the state free from illicit drug trafficking and abuse.

It will be recalled that the Katsina State government is one of the
states in the vanguard of anti-narcotics campaign. The state had
earlier released money to the Katsina Command of the agency to
refurbish broken down vehicles. Surely, the agency needs the support
of corporate organisations and individuals to completely succeed in
the war against drugs. The reassurance of more support for the
agency both financially and morally is worthy of emulation by others.

The agency has intensified its anti-drug campaign in the country
with an increase in the number of seizures, convictions and the
prompt destruction of forfeited drugs. The Katsina occasion of
public destruction of drugs by the NDLEA is one of the efforts being
made by the agency to rid the country of hard drugs.

The event was well attended by very prominent personalities such as
the former Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Kumassi, the State
Commissioner of Police Dan'Azumi Doma, royal fathers and other dignitaries.