The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Tuesday, said that the recent #ENDSARS protest rendered it incapacitated to respond to the growing drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
The command made this known at the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into rights abuse by the defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), in Benin, the Edo State capital.
Recall that in October this year Nigerian youth under the #ENDSARS protest across the country, called for the reformation of the Nigeria Police and an end to rights abuse and brutality of the citizens by SARS operatives.
Ofoyeju Mitchell, principal staff officer and public relations officer of the Edo Command of the NDLEA, representing the agency in the panel, lamented the inability of the drug law agency to swiftly respond to growing drug abuse and trafficking, due to the damage done to its facilities during the #EndSARS protest.
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Ofoyeju, who said a total of 64kg of various narcotics, mainly cannabis Sativa were destroyed, added that the state command’s building, legal records, information and communications technology office, as well as over 90 vehicles, were destroyed by the hoodlums. He explained that since the unfortunate incident they have not been able to efficiently handle the report of drug abuse and trafficking within the state.
“We are here to present our case because we are victim of the #ENDSARS protest. Our office was destroyed, we lost over 90 vehicles, drug exhibits, vehicular exhibits, our legal records, internet facilities, the state command building was razed. We lost virtually everything.
“We lost four unserviceable arms because we were able to relocate our armoury to safety given the situation of the country at that time.
“We seek an operational base with which we can respond to the growing drug abuse and trafficking situation in the country, particularly in the state. Since the office was destroyed, we have been inundated with reports of drug trafficking and abuse. Even people currently undergoing counselling and rehabilitation were abruptly terminate
“That is why we took our case to the governor, and he has promised to give us a temporary place which we believe the command will be able to get back to operational activities,” he said.
