Crime
NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues

NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues
By: Michael Mike
Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commissioned a modern 24/7 call centre set up to attend to Nigerians from all parts of the country with needs on drug related issues.
Speaking at the commissioning, Marwa said that drug users and addicts no longer have excuse not to seek treatment with the commissioning of the modern 24/7 call centre set up to attend to Nigerians from all parts of the country.
The NDLEA call centre with toll free helpline is manned by professionals and experts in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry among others.
According to Marwa, “the provision of this toll-free helpline is a milestone in our resolve to broaden access to quality health care for drug users in the country. This has become a necessity and a strategic intervention in our determined effort to bring under control the increasing cases of drug use disorder and related health concerns.”
He said though the country has treatment centres, while NDLEA has 26 treatment facilities across its commands, they are nevertheless grossly inadequate in the face of statistics of drug users and those suffering from drug use disorder
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He said: “NDLEA recognised the importance of providing a safety bubble for users who ordinarily cannot access the conventional treatment services at established rehabilitation centres due to poverty, social stigma and the resultant discrimination attached to being an identified drug user in society, among other factors. Therefore, the inevitability and the utility of a toll-free helpline that guarantees anonymity, confidentiality and safety, as a motivation for those in need of health help to freely seek such.”
He noted that: “The NDLEA Call Centre is manned by a team of licensed and credible clinical psychologists, counsellors, support workers and mental health professionals who would provide the needed support in aiding recovery, managing social and emotional problems, improving quality of life and enhancing performance and productivity of the users of the service. With its state-of-the-art equipment and its team of highly trained professionals in substance abuse disorder, this centre offers a teletherapy service according to global best practices.”
He disclosed that: “The benefit of the Call Centre is manifolds. Aside from helping us in providing telephone-based psychosocial support and addiction services in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), it will at the same time provide us with information that will deepen our understanding of the country’s dynamics of drug use and potentially put us ahead of the game.”
He said: “To those in need of help, we open a new chapter today, whereby help is just a phone call away. We have simplified the helpline service by making it language-sensitive whereby callers have the choice of language including English, Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. And very importantly, the helpline is open 24/7. A call to the helpline, 0800 1020 3040, elicits a prompt response from professionals, regardless of the time or geographic location.
“The calls open the door to engagements with counsellors, followed by service orientation that leads to case management, at which point the engagement moves from telephone assessment to follow-up therapy sessions and referral. This seamless process ends in Resolution and Aftercare Follow-Up. Given the simplicity of the process, there is no valid excuse for not accessing treatment by drug users and their concerned families. We expect those concerned to take advantage of this opportunity.”
In their remarks at the event, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the federation, Muhammed Abubakar; UNODC country representative, Oliver Stolpe and European Union delegation representative, Eleni Zerzerlidou commended the NDLEA for the initiative, while calling for its expansion and sustenance.
The Chief Executive of the company managing the centre, Primly Services Ltd, Dr. Vincent Udenze commended Marwa for providing the leadership that made the initiative a reality.
NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues
Crime
Troops neutralise militia during clearance patrol in Plateau community

Troops neutralise militia during clearance patrol in Plateau community
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 5, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), have neutralised a suspected militia member during a clearance operation in Hokk community, Mushere West District of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation, which took place on July 3 at about 11:45 a.m., was part of a long-range patrol covering Tulus and Hokk communities along the Plateau–Nasarawa border.

The sources said that the troops came under attack from armed militias in Hokk but successfully repelled the assailants, killing one while others fled the scene.

As of the time of filing this report, troops have continued to dominate the general area with aggressive patrols to prevent further militia activity.
Troops neutralise militia during clearance patrol in Plateau community
Crime
Security forces repel attack, reclaim villages in Bokkos LGA, Plateau

Security forces repel attack, reclaim villages in Bokkos LGA, Plateau
By: Zagazola Makama
A joint security operation has reclaimed several deserted villages in the Horop District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, following persistent attacks and occupation by suspected Fulani militias.
Zagazola Makama was reliably informed that the clearance operation was launched after residents of Hokk and neighboring villages fled their homes, reporting that the attackers had taken over their communities and erected temporary shelters.
In response, a combined troops of the Nigerian Army, team of Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel were deployed to the area to restore order and secure the villages.
The troops, encountered strong resistance from the armed attackers. A fierce gun battle ensued, but the attackers were eventually overpowered and forced to retreat into nearby bushes.
During the operation, several makeshift huts erected by the militias were destroyed, and two motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing assailants were recovered.
Authorities say patrols and security presence in the area have been intensified to prevent further incursions and allow displaced villagers to safely return to their homes.
Security forces repel attack, reclaim villages in Bokkos LGA, Plateau
Crime
Mentally unstable man kills 6-year-old boy in Niger

Mentally unstable man kills 6-year-old boy in Niger
By: Zagazola Makama
A 30-year-old man, identified as Basiru Umaru, has allegedly killed a six-year-old boy, Aliyu Muhammed, in Mariga Town, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.
The tragic incident occurred on June 28 at about 9:00 p.m., when the suspect, said to be mentally unstable, reportedly lured the child to a riverside in the area.
According to community sources, the suspect tied the boy’s hands and legs before throwing him into the river, where he drowned.
The parents of the deceased, who had declared him missing, were later led to the riverbank by the suspect himself. The child’s lifeless body was recovered shortly after.
Police personnel were deployed to the scene. The corpse was taken to a medical facility for autopsy, while concerned community members mobilised to ensure the suspect was restrained and isolated from the public.
Medical and mental health professionals are expected to conduct psychiatric evaluation on the suspect to determine his state of mind at the time of the incident.
End
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