The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday burnt and destroyed hard drugs worth over fifty million naira (N50, 000,000) at the Olusosun dumpsite, Ojota in Lagos state.
The drugs which included Arizona, Skunk, Indian Hemp, Codeines among others were destroyed following an order of a court for them to be openly burnt.
Addressing newsmen shortly before setting fire on those hard drugs, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos state, CP Edgal Imohimi used the opportunity to advised pharmacists operating in the state to be professionals in their businesses warning that drugs like codeine must be dispensed with prescription from a medical doctor.
He said, “You recall that during my town hall meetings, I assured Lagosians that as Commissioner of police Lagos state, I would ensure we rid our neighborhoods of drug dealers, we must take back our streets and neighborhoods from these set of people. As such, I have instructed my officers and men to carry out series of operations to recover hard drugs anywhere they are being sold, arrest those selling those drugs and prosecute them.
“And in line with a court order, today, we are open burning drugs seized which have an estimated street value of over N50 million. Some of these drugs seized include very dangerous Arizona; there is one that is known as Skunk and of course, Indian Hemp. There is also the codeine. Now, what is more worrisome about codeine is the fact that our youths can get codeine even across counter at most of our pharmacies.
“I am using this opportunity to call on pharmacists to be professional; drugs such as codeine must be dispensed with prescription from a doctor and not otherwise because our youths are now using it for narcotic purposes”.
The Lagos Police Chief assured that the clampdown on drugs anywhere they were sold in the state would continue saying that the intention of the police was to ensure that youths do not have access to drugs as he added that there was a very strong correlation between drugs and crimes and deviant behaviors.
“In most of our neighborhoods, we are having problem of youth restiveness and cultism, drug is at the centre of this and we must all join hands together to fight the scourge and get back our neighborhoods from these drug peddlers”, he said.
Asked if there were suspects arrested in connection with the hard drugs, he said, “Of course, you recall that during my last press briefing, at Akala alone, we arrested well over 56 suspects, they have all been charged to court and it was as a result that the court ordered that all drugs seized from Akala and other areas raided be burnt openly”.
He therefore reiterated that the police would not allow drugs to be sold on the streets of Lagos informing that the police had partnered with different groups during his town hall meetings as well as the leaderships of the Students’ Union Governments of various tertiary institutions in the state who had agreed to join hands with him to fight not only cultism in schools and neighborhoods but also drug peddlers in the state.
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