The Executive Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Olorogun (Barr.) Jaro Egbo, has charged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ughelli Area Command, to intensify efforts in arresting and prosecuting drug traffickers and illicit drug dealers across the council area.
The directive was given during the flag-off ceremony of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held in Ughelli, the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North. This year’s event was themed “Breaking The Chains: Prevention, Treatment, And Recovery For All.”
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Olorogun Elvis Oharisi, Egbo reaffirmed the council’s commitment to fighting drug-related crimes, revealing that seminars and workshops had been organized to sensitize the public against hard drugs and illegal trafficking.
He warned that anyone caught buying or selling illicit substances within Ughelli North would face the full wrath of the law.
“We must rid our communities of this menace. The NDLEA must comb every nook and cranny to fish out the traffickers and drug barons,” Egbo declared.
Adding royal backing to the campaign, the monarch of Ughelli Kingdom, HRM Evang. (Dr.) Wilson Ojakovo Oharisi III JP++, in a message from his palace, decried the impact of drug abuse on the youth and implored the NDLEA to intensify its crackdown on drug dealers.
“Stop selling hard and illicit drugs to our children. It is destroying their lives,” the monarch warned. “NDLEA must raid these hideouts and prosecute the culprits.”
On his part, the Area Commander of NDLEA Ughelli Area Command, Mr. Patrick Morah, highlighted the agency’s achievements under his leadership. He said extensive sensitization campaigns have been carried out across schools in Ughelli, Patani, and Bomadi to prevent drug abuse at an early stage.
“Our major strategy is prevention. We want to stop students from even experimenting with drugs. Once they taste it and get addicted, it becomes extremely difficult to rescue them,” Morah said.
He noted that several arrests have been made recently, with offenders handed over to the NDLEA headquarters for prosecution, many of whom have since been convicted.
The event underscores growing local efforts to combat the rising threat of drug abuse and trafficking, with both government authorities and traditional institutions joining forces to protect future generations.
