The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen Buba Marwa, on Saturday said the agency recovered over N90bn worth of illicit drugs and cash from suspected drug traffickers from January to May 2021.

Marwa also disclosed that over 5,000 persons had been arrested for drug-related offences while the agency had secured more than 500 convictions within the period.

He said it was important to awaken the consciousness of all Nigerians to the urgent need for them to support the NDLEA in its effort to save the country from the menace of abuse and trafficking of illicit substances to safeguard the future of Nigeria.

The former military administrator stated these in Ibadan, Oyo State, at the public presentation of a book, ‘Victory in Defeat’, written by Brig Gen Larinde Laoye (retd).

He said leaders at all levels “must attach some urgency to the need to rid our society of the drug menace”.

“Our record at the NDLEA in the first five months of this year calls for sober reflection: over 5, 000 arrests; over 3,000 charged to court with more than 500 convictions, 2, 772 individuals were counselled and treated for drug-related problems. More than two million kilograms of assorted drugs were seized and over N90bn worth of drugs and cash recovered. These statistics are alarming and are red flags about the need to safeguard the future of the young generation,” a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, of the agency, Femi Babafemi, titled, ‘There’s urgent need to rid Nigeria of drug scourge – Marwa,’ quoted Marwa as saying.

While speaking about the new book, Marwa said, “It is our wish that our younger generation should follow the illustrious path of Gen Laoye. But I want us all to be aware that the drug situation prevalent in our society today will make such an achievement difficult for a lot of young people.

“Brig Gen Larinde Laoye (retd) and I have a common frame of reference that inspires seamless reminiscence of our years at the Nigerian Military School, NMS, Zaria, where our paths first crossed, and later at the Nigerian Defence Academy, and during our military career in the Nigerian Army. I have crossed paths with many people, but memories about Brig-Gen Larinde Laoye are especially evergreen because he is an exceptional and unforgettable figure.”