The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Plateau Command, has disclosed that in a recent raid on drug stores, it seized 1,510 bottles of cough syrup and 824 kilogrammes of hard drugs.
The Commander, Dr. Madubuike Ngozi, who spoke with newsmen in Jos on Sunday, said the drug stores raided were in Jos-Bukuru metropolis.
She said the NDLEA officers also confiscated psychotropic substances, noting that the syrup was seized because it contained codeine.
According to her, the syrup is a controlled drug which is not meant to be sold over the counter.
She said, "We have been able to raid some drug stores and chemists in Jos-Bukuru metropolis who are not supposed to sell such drugs over the counter because the drugs are controlled drugs.
"They are to be sold by qualified medical personnel, not just by any person because the drugs are controlled; the diversion of these drugs makes them accessible to those who abuse them."
The commander said their findings revealed that such persons took the drugs as stimulants because of the codeine in it which is a narcotic drug used medically for the production of some cough syrup.
"Most youths who were into drugs buy the cough syrup not to treat cough, but to make them high and prepare them for nefarious activities," she lamented.
"The command has earlier confiscated 824.517 kilogrammes of cannabis, cocaine and psychotropic substances," she said, adding that the office had been able to secure the conviction of 48 males between the ages of 17 to 56 years, who she said were serving various jail terms ranging from one month to three years."
Ngozi went further to stress that the command's rehabilitation centre rehabilitated and discharged 34 male clients from January 2015 till date.
According to her, the centre currently had 26 clients who were being rehabilitated and appealed to parents to monitor their children and wards to ensure that they do not depend on drugs and do not patronise drugs.
The Commander, however, identified notorious drug flash points to include Farin-Gada, Gada-Biyu, Congo-Russia, Mangu and Bukuru.
She appealed to the public to co-operate with the Agency by disclosing salient information regarding drug trafficking, its usage and consumption.
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