By Zahra Muhammad
ASHENEWS reports that the Director General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa has condoled with the families of a two-year-old who was killed by a story bullet fired by an officer of the agency in Okpanam, near Asaba in July during a raid on a notorious drug joint in the area.
A younger sibling of the deceased was also seriously injured in the eye.
The Director, of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said that Marwa stated this at the end of his three-day working visit to Delta State.
Marwa assured the family of the deceased of continued support over the death of Ivan and the plan to fly Eromosele abroad for further treatment.
According to Marwa, the tragedy that killed the victim was an unintended death and the NDLEA will continue to support the family.
He said that the visit was also to assess the operational needs of the Delta state command and Delta Ports command of the Agency to mobilize officers and men of the two formations to go all out for drug cartels operating in the state.
He further said that the visit was to rally the support of key stakeholders to a successful fight against the drug menace in the state.
According to him, with a projected rate of 40% rise in drug abuse in Africa by 2030, all well-meaning Nigerians and organizations must unite behind the anti-narcotics agency in its ongoing renewed efforts in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
The NDLEA had earlier in a separate meeting with chairmen of local government councils in the state sought their support and collaboration as the agency was preparing to deploy personnel to LGs across the country beginning in the first quarter of 2024.
He urged them to set up drug control committees in their councils and down to communities and wards to cascade war against drug abuse, WADA, and advocacy messages to the grassroots.
