The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, on Thursday said that it arrested 411 illicit drug offenders in 2019

Its commander,  Mr Ralph Igwenagu, stated the figure  in a press statement he signed.

Igwenagu, a Commander of Narcotic (CN), in the statement also said that the illicit drugs seized from the offenders amounted to 13 tones.

He said the released figure represented the command’s score card for 2019.

He also said that 197 of the arrested  offenders comprising 151 males and 46 females had been charged to court for prosecution.

He also said that the remaining 214  drug users  arrested during various operations across the state had been counseled and reintegrated into the society.

He added that the command in 2019 secured 83 convictions for drug offenders that were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment by the Federal High Court

The commander said that the   tones of illicit drugs  it seized in 2019  consisted: 7.9kg of Marijuana,  5.7kg of Tramadol,   20.9 kg of Exol 5, 38.7 liters of cough syrup  with codeine.

He listed others to include: 0.04 of Raphymol,  0.18kg of cocaine 0.09kg of Heroine  28 kg of Diazepam  and 0.006 of Methamphetamine among others.He also said that the command carried out public enlightenment  programmes to sensitise the public on the dangers associated  with  the use of illicit drugs.

“The enlightenment programmes were carried out in various   schools, markets, religious centres, motor parks among others.’’

He said that the command was able to record the listed achievements in 2019 because of the dedication and commitment of its officers.

He also expressed appreciation to the members of the public that provided credible information to the command.

Igwenagu also appealed to the public to continue to provide credible information to the command to enable it discharge its mandate.