From Ado Abubakar Musa, Jos
The Plateau state Commandant of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Dr Anthonia Ngozi Madueke has said that the agency has intercepted a total of 159.216 kilograms of psychotropic substances from January 2013 to August 2014 Madueke, who disclosed this yesterday to newsmen in Jos, the capital of Plateau state also drew the attention of the people on the danger of abusing drugs .
She warned that its agency would not spare anyone that engages in counterfeit drug activities, adding that fifteen years jail term or fine of five hundred thousand naira awaits anyone found guilty.
She said given the dangers posed to the public,the government, through the NDLEA Decree 48 of 1989, now NDLEA Act Cap N30 LFN 2004, restricted the sale and dispensing of these classes of drugs to only authorised medical personnel.
According to the agency’s boss, with enormous responsibility for the coordination of all drug laws however, “We have opted to embark on this strategy of enlightenment, sensitization,education and dialogue to complement enforcement activities on the Plateau”.
She further stressed that it is sad to note that these psychotropic substances are freely obtained over the counter from medicine stores, while some of these drugs are not even sold in the original packs of the manufacturers, but are dispensed, counted or measured out from containers.
She lamented that many of the patent medicine dealers have also converted their shops into clinics where they treat patients and carry out minor surgeries such as abortion thereby exposing ,the public to great danger.
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