By Yusuf Salihu Sansani, Jalingo
Taraba State has been rated high in consumption of illicit drugs in the country.
State Commander of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Taraba State Command, Nanzing Daniel Sallah made the revelation while hosting the new officials of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, (NUJ) in the state in his office in Jalingo.
Sallah said the consumers of the drugs fall between the ages of sixteen to forty six years who consumed hard drugs such as Cannabis Sativa, Codeine, tramadol, methamphetmine aka Ice among others.
The NDLEA Commander remarked that this ugly trend is aided by the activities of the drug traffickers who used the State as a transit in the business attributing the high rate of criminal activities in the state to drug abuse.
He said the Agency has not been resting on its oars in trying to address the menace saying that the Comnand has made several arrests as well as siezed large quantity of such hard drugs in the State.
He applauded the State Government for promising to build a Rehabilitation Center for drug addicts in the State pointing out that it will help in no small way in rehabilitating drug abusers and providing counseling.
Sallah remarked that the media is a critical stakeholder in the fight against drugs and substance abuse in the state, adding that the visit of the NUJ officials to the command was timely.
The State Commander pledged the resolve of the Agency to partner with the NUJ which will help immensely in publicising its activities to restore the lost glory of the State.
Earlier, the new Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mathew Eliud Jen said they were in his office to familiarize themselves as well as seek for partnership with the NDLEA.
Jen said the Journalists can only report effectively through adequate collaboration with stakeholders in different walks of life.
He appreciated the doggedness of the Agency in trying to sanitize the State to be elicit drug free and pledged the readiness of the members of the Pen profession to give them adequate publicity.
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