By Izunna Okafor, Awka
As part of the remarkable strides being recorded in the fight against drug abuse in Anambra State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed that the clampdown on methamphetamine, locally known as Mkpụrụmmiri, has drastically driven up its market price from N3,500 to N16,500 per gram—making the deadly narcotic increasingly scarce and inaccessible to users and dealers alike.
This development, seen as a major victory in the anti-drug war, was disclosed by the Anambra State Commander of the NDLEA, Commander Onyishi Daniel Ogbonna, during a recent award presentation by the Ultimate Business Women and Farmers Association of Nigeria (UBWFAN) in Awka.
The award, which recognized the Agency’s resilience and efficiency in curbing drug abuse and trafficking, was part of activities marking UBWFAN’s third annual National Convention held in the Anambra State capital.
Speaking during the presentation, Commander Ogbonna attributed the skyrocketing price of Mkpụrụmmiri to the successful enforcement operations and sustained efforts by the Agency to dismantle supply chains and arrest offenders across the state and beyond.
“We are going hard on the traffickers and users. That is why the cost of methamphetamine has risen sharply from N3,500 to N16,500. The drug is no longer easily accessible to addicts because of our consistent enforcement drive,” he said.
Commander Ogbonna commended UBWFAN for its initiative and pledged to collaborate with the organization’s over 8,000 members to tackle the menace of drug abuse at the grassroots. According to him, mothers and women play a vital role in molding future generations and influencing behavior patterns in the home and society.
“This Convention with the theme ‘Role of Mothers in Nation’s Security’ is timely and strategic. The pressure is always on the women when children go astray. Men are not always around, but mothers are always at the forefront of parenting. With the right training and awareness, women can be a powerful tool in ending drug abuse,” he stated.
He assured the group of the NDLEA’s willingness to provide support and collaborate with their network to deepen anti-drug campaigns and counseling programs that would positively impact youths across the 21 local government areas of the state.
Earlier in her remarks, the National President of UBWFAN, Hon. Nkiru Nwagbo, said the award was in recognition of the NDLEA’s courageous and relentless fight against illicit drugs in Anambra, which she said had significantly improved the security situation in the state.
While attesting that drug abuse is the bedrock of most crimes and social vices in society, she also testified that since the NDLEA intensified its efforts, the level of drug abuse has drastically reduced while insecurity has also declined across the state.
Hon. Nwagbo explained that the organization’s third annual National Convention, which recently held in Awka, brought together all its local government executives —numbering over 500 women — to interface with service commanders and stakeholders in the state to discuss critical national issues as they affect women, family unit, and the society at large.
She further lauded the synergy between the security agencies in Anambra and the state government, stressing that the united front has yielded impressive results in the fight against criminality.
Nwagbo further reaffirmed the association’s readiness to support the NDLEA’s ongoing efforts and mobilize mothers across communities to act as watchdogs, counselors, and educators in the battle against drug abuse.
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