Security
THE Imo Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it seized 12,638.58kg of various hard drugs and arrested 475 suspects, 379 males and 96 females in one year.
The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Alexander Nnyigide, said this at a news briefing to mark this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, held in Owerri on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that UN set aside the day to raise awareness on the devastating effects of drug abuse and illicit trafficking and promote collective action towards building healthier, safer and more resilient communities.
The theme for this year’s celebration is, “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses.”
Nnyigide, a Commander of Narcotics, listed the drugs seized from July 2025 to June 2026 to include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, metamphetamine and tramadol.
He also said that the command secured 48 convictions at the Federal High Court, Owerri, with 189 arrested drug users undergoing counselling.
“A total of 23 drug dependents were admitted for rehabilitation and 15 successfully rehabilitated in the last one year, while eight are still undergoing rehabilitation.
“We also carried out drug education and public enlightenment in over 33 outings in churches, schools, communities and other places,” Nnyigide said.
He called for collaboration between Imo residents and the command to facilitate information sharing and intelligence gathering, and enable the agency to better address its challenges.
He thanked Imo Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, and sister security agencies for their support.
The NDLEA chief urged good-spirited members of the public to throw their weight behind the agency. (NAN)
A.I
June 27, 2026
Tags: Mr Alexander Nnyigide NDLEA Sen. Hope Uzodimma