Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, has expressed concern over the danger increased drug trafficking and abuse pose to the nation.
He said the agency in 2013 alone, seized 339, 968 kilogrammes of illicit drugs with a street value of N3.4 billion.
He stated that the agency also identified and shut down six methamphetamine production laboratories and arrested 13 suspects in connection with the laboratories.
The NDLEA boss spoke yesterday in Abuja at the dissemination of the 2014 World Drug Report and the 2013 International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report.
In his key note address, Giade said drug production, trafficking and abuse were among the biggest security challenges facing humanity.
He, therefore, called for urgent attention to combat them.
The NDLEA chief noted that most criminal acts are perpetrated under the influence of drugs.
Giade said: “Drug production, trafficking and abuse represent one of the biggest security challenges confronting humanity today. The situation is so frightening that an urgent intervention is needed for a guaranteed global peace and development.
“Drug is a catalyst for crime. Most criminal acts are perpetrated under the influence of drugs.
“The public need to know that globally an estimated 200,000 people die yearly due to drug abuse. Most of these preventable deaths occur among the youths. It is important to know also that those who die of substance abuse also cut across age, s*x, religion and social status”.
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