*As NDLEA nabs 919 suspects

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured an order from the Federal High Court in the state for the final forfeiture of 33 motorcycles abandoned by drug dealers in the state.

The State NDLEA Commandant, Hassan Sani Abubakar, who unveiled this while briefing journalists in Katsina, said the agency had also secured interim forfeiture of one Toyota Sienna vehicle and final forfeiture of a Primera Nissan vehicle.He explained that the command also arrested 919 suspects comprising 894 males and 25 females between January and December, 2023, lamenting that bandits had interrupted the agency’s operations in the state.

He said the legal department of the agency had within the year under review, filed 98 cases before the Katsina Federal High Court and secured 76 convictions, while 161 cases were under various stages of prosecution.Abubakar added that 563.5541 kilogram of drugs, 450.963 kilogram of cannabis and 111.5911 kilogram of other psychotropic drugs were seized by operatives of the command within the period under review.

 He said:  “We also secured the interim forfeiture of one Sienna vehicle and final forfeiture of 33 abandoned motorcycles and one Prime Nissan vehicle. Our DDR unit counseled 842 suspects. The unit also admitted 82 clients.“25 of them are government sponsored, while 75 are self-sponsored. We were also engaged in 148 war-against-drug-abuse sensitisation programmes with estimated number of 77,339 participants.”

Culled from ThisDay