The Kwara Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 420 suspects between January and December 2022 in Kwara.

The state Commander of the agency, Alhaji Ibrahim Saidu, disclosed this in Ilorin on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to him, out of the arrested suspects, 359 are males while 61 are females.

The commander also confirmed that 44 suspects were convicted, while 213 were released to their families.

“Among the 420 suspects arrested in 2022, some are traffickers and some are users, some are now in Correctional Service Centres here in Ilorin,” Sa'idu said.

“We made our arrest base on information, surveillance and other strategies won't like to disclose,” said the commander.

He assured the residents of the state that drug abuse would be reduced to barest minimum in 2023.

Sa'idu also said the NDLEA has embarked on sensitisation programmes to higher institutions, secondary schools and rural communities to achieve a drug free society in the state.

Sa'idu called on parents to act as a 'watchdog' to their wards and stop harbouring them in the name of love.

“Always watch your wards and check their rooms and caution them against keeping bad friends. Don't be too busy to ignore your children. Keep an eye on them and counsel them on dangers of hard drugs,” he said.

The commander also called on governments and corporate bodies to intensify support for the agency with operational vehicles and other logistics to ease their work.

Besides, he appealed to individuals, corporate bodies and NGOs to support NDLEA in its bid to tackle drug acts in the country.