AGENCY ATTRIBUTES RISE IN VIOLENCE TO HIGH NARCOTICS INTAKE

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said weekend that the
recent rise in cases of renewed violence in Delta State, particularly
between youths of contending groups in the oil communities, was caused by a
rise in the intake of narcotic drugs.

Delta State Commander of the agency, Mr. Aju Okopi-amen who made the
disclosure explained that in the last six months, 17699kg of cannabis,
3.3kg of psychotropic substances, 882 pinches of heroin and 283 pinches of
cocaine valued at N88.5million have been seized.

Disclosing that 720 convicts among whom are 632 males and 88 females were
caught and are being detained in various cells in the state, the NDLEA boss
said, "the singular rise in drug addiction could be responsible for the
resurgent ethnic hostilities and youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region.

"Cannabis alias Indian hemp is by far the most problematic indigenous drug
issue the Delta State Command has had to contend with" he said adding, "it
produces human suffering of immense proportion."

He continued, "It has wrecked homes, killed many of our invaluable youths
through mental illness and caused youth restiveness that are not easily
curable."

Okopi-Amen regretted that Delta State which is highly blessed in mineral
and human resources ranks amongst the top three states in the cultivation,
processing and trafficking of the deadly weed.

Noting that the weed is responsible for the drastic fall in food production
in Delta State, the NDLEA Commander said, "the people dissipate their
energy on the cultivation of this terrible plant that could have been
redirected to growing economic crops through which the nation's dependence
on oil, as foreign exchange would be changed.