Over 2 Million People In South-South Use Psychoactive Substances – NDLEA

Published

2 years ago

June 27, 2024

No fewer than 2.1 million persons aged between 15 and 64 years in the South-South region use psychoactive substances, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said.

Stella Ngwoke, the Commander, NDLEA Command in Port Harcourt Ports, disclosed this in Onne on Wednesday at an event to mark the 2024 United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse.

Ngwoke, who quoted statistics from the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, said that about 14.3 million persons aged between 15 and 64 used illicit drugs in the country.

“We are talking about drug use for non-medical purposes. It has also been discovered that one out of every four drug users is a woman.

“In Rivers, the prevalence rate is 15 per cent of the said population, which is estimated at 580,000 people,” she said.

The commander listed hemp, tramadol, morphine, and cough syrups containing codeine as the most abused substances in the South-South region.

Ngwoke said that the current realities about drug intake in the country required that governments at all levels and relevant stakeholders rise to the occasion.

She said that NDLEA had already taken proactive steps to ensure a balanced approach towards reducing the demand for the regularly abused drugs.

The NDLEA official said that part of the approach was the suppression of the supply of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as stipulated in the National Drug Control Master Plan, 2020–2025.

The commander said that already, the agency’s interdiction effort at the ports had led to the seizure of a large shipment of drugs from India.

Ngwoke stated that in May, the agency seized no fewer than 1,750 cartons of cough syrup with codeine, weighing 26,250 kg.

“Also, in June, another seizure of 875 cartons of cough syrup with codeine, also containing 17,500 bottles and weighing 26,250 kg, was made.

“The street value of the drug in these two operations is estimated at over N4 billion,’’ she said.

Ngwoke said that, in addition to the seizure, mop-up operations were carried out around the Port Harcourt Ports corridor to dislodge drug joints.

Also speaking, the Special Guest of Honour, Mr Mohammed Babadende, expressed worries that drug abuse was ravaging the country.

He said that drug abuse had since metamorphosed into a global problem with a multifaceted challenge that touched on the lives of millions of people globally.

Babadende commended the NDLEA for working assiduously to tackle drug abuse, trafficking, and addiction in the country.

“We all know that drug availability, affordability, and accessibility are directly influenced by addiction,” he said.

Mr Bayo Adepoju, the Deputy Director, Port Operations, NAFDAC, said that although tramadol and codeine were prescription drugs, it is illegal for anyone to have them in large quantities. (NAN)

Ex-convict Arrested In Edo For Armed Robbery, Possession Of Firearm

Published

7 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

The Edo State Security Corps (ESSC) has arrested a 45-year-old ex-convict, Owen Osas, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms and suspected involvement in a robbery incident.

Osas was reportedly arrested with a cut-to-size single-barrel gun during a covert operation along Fishpond Road in Eyean, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area.

The arrest reportedly comes barely a year after he was released from prison, where he had served time for illegal possession of firearms and other criminal offences.

Osas, who confessed to the latest crime, also admitted to being a member of the Eiye Confraternity.

READ ALSO:Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo
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Consequently, a victim of an alleged robbery incident, Reginia Izy, identified Osas as the person who robbed her a day before his arrest.
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The victim narrated that the suspect had approached her residence around 8 p.m., pretending to be familiar before carrying out the attack.
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‎The Deputy Commander Operations of ESSC, Richard Balogun, said the arrest was part of intensified efforts to rid Edo State of criminal elements.

READ ALSO:Edo South Senatorial Seat: Nothing Wrong Seeking Wike’s Support – Ogbeide-Ihama
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‎Balogun explained that operatives conduct both overt patrols and covert operations to track and apprehend suspects.
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He said, ‎“Our men are always on patrol. Some operate in plain clothes as part of covert strategies, while others are stationed at strategic locations.

“Osas, who is a former convict, was arrested with firearms and he also confessed to be a member of the Eiye Confraternity.”
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Metro

Gunmen Kidnap Businessman In Ibadan

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old man in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victim was kidnapped on Saturday while on his way to his residence.

The incident occurred at Jinarere, Alakia in Ibadan.

Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

Ayanlade in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, explained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim.

Ayanlade said, “Preliminary information reveals that the victim, a 60-year-old male and building materials trader, was accosted while returning home along the Jinarere axis of Alakia Road by four masked armed men, who forcefully whisked him away in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle”.

Metro

Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

A 30-year-old entrepreneur and CEO of Principle Takeout, Justice Abu Oshioke, has been killed by suspected kidnappers in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

He was reportedly attacked by the suspected kidnappers on Saturday while on his way to pick up an order made for his child’s dedication on Sunday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers attempted to force him into a nearby bush in a kidnapping attempt. However, he reportedly resisted and tried to escape.

In the course of the struggle, the assailants opened fire, shooting him multiple times.

Concerned residents quickly rushed him to a nearby medical facility, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.

The deceased was said to have recently gotten married and welcomed a baby boy.

The tragic event has turned a joyous occasion into a moment of grief for the family.

The shocking development has left the Ekpoma community in deep sorrow, with many residents expressing outrage over the growing insecurity in the area.

Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem confirmed the incident and said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika has ordered a “full-scale investigation and intensified manhunt for those responsible.”

According to her, the Police, in collaboration with the military, local vigilantes, and hunters, are actively pursuing the perpetrators through coordinated operations.