Sule directs NDLEA to destroy Nasarawa drug farms

Daniel during his visit to Gov Sule at Government House, Lafia. Photo: Collins Agwam

The Nasarawa State Government has given the Nasarawa State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency the mandate to search and destroy drug farms found in any expanse of ungoverned land in parts of the state.

The state governor, Abdullahi Sule, gave the directive, following the discovery of drug farms found in pockets of expanse of ungoverned lands in parts of the state.

Sule, who commended the anti-drug agency for a good job, noted that such ungoverned lands made it easy for unscrupulous persons to set up farms deep in the forests, and thus, urged the NDLEA to intensify efforts in dismantling the several others that abound in the state

Arewa PUNCH reports that the mandate formed the major part of talks between Sule and the NDLEA boss during his visit to the governor to solicit the support of the Nasarawa State Government to establish a rehabilitation centre for drug and alcohol abusers in Lafia.

The new Commander of the agency in the state, CN Saidu Daniel, had earlier made the appeal, on Monday, during a familiarisation visit to Governor Abdullahi Sule in Lafia, the state capital.

Daniel, who hailed the governor for allocating land to the agency in Azuba for the destruction of exhibits and seized drugs, said the state had been a strategic partner to the NDLEA.

The NDLEA boss said,  “Your Excellency, we appreciate you for being a strategic partner to us and for the fatherly role you have been playing for the NDLEA. We appreciate you, sir.

“We in Nasarawa State have been doing well in the sense that for the period we have been here, we have recorded important breakthroughs in seizing different kinds of exhibits,” he said.

Daniel disclosed that the command recently discovered and destroyed cannabis farms of about 1.5 hectares each in Awe and Kokona Local Government Areas.

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He continued, “It is important because for some time now, we have not gotten such kinds of exhibits.

“We discovered farms about 1.5 hectares in Awe and Kokona. We have destroyed them because we cannot allow them to harvest. If they harvest, they will enter the market,” he stated.

The commander emphasised the need for sustained sensitisation against drug abuse and the establishment of a rehabilitation centre in Lafia that would enable the agency to carry out rehabilitation processes from within the state.

Responding, Governor Sule assured the agency of the state government’s support in creating awareness on the dangers of drug abuse and in establishing the rehabilitation centre.

According to Sule, “You never can tell, children get involved with other children and they do a lot of things.

“Sometimes they do negative things in schools, sometimes they do them with friends; so, if you are going to engage in some kind of protection, some kind of awareness to protect our children, you have our support.

“I commend you also for taking that initiative and I promise you that Nasarawa State Government would be a partner in supporting you to make sure you succeed in doing that. The same with the rehabilitation centre,” the governor said.

He urged the commander to draft his plan for the centre and bring it to the state government for consideration.