NDLEA arrests drug barons, IDPs in Borno

The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested 10 drug barons and 60 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for alleged drug abuse and sale in IDP camps.

The Commandant of the agency in Borno, Mr Ona Ogilegwu, on Wednesday in Maiduguri said that the 10 barons were nabbed while attempting to enter the camps to distribute the hard drugs for sale.

Ogilegwu also explained that the suspects were nabbed during a joint operation, tagged “Operation Clean the Cobwebs”, conducted by the military and the command at five IDP camps in the state capital.

“In Bakassi camp we arrested 18 IDPs in MOGOLIS camp; we also nabbed 18, while in Dalori we nabbed 16 of them. We also nabbed some at Teachers Village and Dikwa IDP camps. I am not too sure of the number.

“It will interest you to note that we have about 84 persons in our detention facilities that were arrested with various quantities of illicit drugs between January and March, this year.

“Hard drug substances like cannabis sativa, rophenol, diazepam and benelin with codeine, suck and die solution, and several other substances were seized from them.

“Also, we conducted to raids in State Lowcost Housing and Kasuwan Shanu we also made some arrest. You will recall that Kasuwan Shanu is one of the most dangerous places where illicit drugs sell was the order of the day.

“Some of the IDPs found with negligible quantity were counselled, handed over to the state government and placed under watch. The barons amongst them will surely go to jail.

“What we are doing is to properly sanitise these IDPs so that they won’t go back and continue to constitute havoc in their respective host communities.

“We, therefore, continue to warn them to desist from their nefarious activities or face the full wrath of the law,’’ Ogilegwu said.