The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, Plateau state command, said it has intercepted a total of 159.216 kilograms of psychotropic substances of dangerous drugs between January 2013 to 14 .
Disclosing this yesterday to newsmen in Jos, the Head of the Command, Dr Anthonia Ngozi Madueke said that the command is out to educate and enlighten youths on danger of taking drugs.
She warned that its agency would not spare anyone that engages in counterfeit drug activities! Even as they said fifteen years jail term or fine of five hundred thousand naira awaits anyone found wanting.
In view of the addictive nature of these substances, she said the dangers posed to the public, the government through the NDLEA decree 48 of 1989 now NDLEA act cap N30 LFN 2004 restricted the sale and dispensing of these classes of drugs to only authorised medical personnel.
Adding, it is pertinent to know that in the year 2013, 104.267 kilograms of controlled drugs were intercept.
According to NDLEA boss, she said with enormous responsibility for the coordination of all drug laws, however, we have opted to embark on this strategy of enlightenment, sensitization, education, and dialogue to complement enforcement activities on plateau.
Madueke stressed that, it is sad to note that these psychotropic substances are freely obtained over the counter from patent medicine stores, while some of these drugs are not even sold in the original packs of the manufacturers but are dispensed, counted or measured out from containers.
She lamented that many of the patent medicine dealers have also converted their shops into clinics where they treat patients and carry out minor surgeries such as abortion thereby exposing ,the public to great danger.
Madueke added that as major stakeholders in the fight against controlled of drugs is significant and strategic to the national existence.
