Musa Na Allah Sokoto
In a sweeping clampdown on Friday and Saturday rattled criminal hideouts across Sokoto metropolis, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Sokoto State Command, have arrested 51 suspects, including 11 females and 40 males, during a coordinated two-day raid.
The sting operation açcording to a statement made available to newsmen on Monday by Command public relations officer Deputy Commandant Narcotics Mohammad Dahiru targeted notorious drug joints and hideouts long linked with illicit consumption and trafficking.
The statement further stated that cording most of those apprehended fell between the ages of 18 and 21 years, a disturbing trend that underscores the growing wave of drug abuse among youths in Sokoto.
The raids, carried out after weeks of surveillance, covered major black spots such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Raymond Village, Kwannawa, Danbuwa, Aliyu Jodi, Kware Market, Hajiya Halima area, and Gangaren Dankure.
Items recovered during the raids included quantities of Cannabis Sativa, Rophynol, Hypernole, and ice-smoking paraphernalia, all seized from the suspects during the operation.
State Commander of NDLEA, Mustapha M. Gidado, said the agency remains fully committed to dismantling every drug den in Sokoto.
Commander Gidado also issued a strong caution to parents to monitor their children closely, warning that the menace of drug addiction is consuming young lives at an alarming rate.
He further warned landlords and property owners against allowing their premises to be used for drug-related activities.
According to him, any building found to be aiding drug abuse or trafficking risks being sealed and forfeited to the Federal Government.
The commander stressed that the war against drugs cannot be won by security agencies alone, urging community leaders, parents, and all stakeholders to support the campaign.
