DRUG ABUSE: NDLEA arrests 39 in Abia clean up

With the 2019 elections few days away, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abia state said it has arrested 34 males and 5 females in connection to drug abuse within the past three months.

The commander of the agency in the state, Mr Bamidele Akingbade who disclosed this to newsmen in Aba on Tuesday, said drugs including cannabis, skonk cannabis, cocaine, heroin and other psychotropic substances were recovered from them.

According to him, towns raided include Umuahia, Aba, Ohafia, Arochukwu and Isiukwuato areas of the state.

He said, “The action of the command is hinged on the premise that the line between violence and drug is thin.

“We have observed in the past, most of the past violent behaviours that characterised past elections have not been unconnected with the use of drugs.

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“We could safely say that it is not impossible that some politicians may be planning again to induce our youths into violence in order to make them susceptible to violent behaviours.

“They may want to foment troubles during campaigns and elections by making hard drugs freely available to them.”

He added that some of the cases have been charged to court while some others have been handed over to the police for further investigation.

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