The Nigerian military has asked state governments to identify and persecute drug cartels to end drug trafficking and boost security.

A military officer with the Guards’ Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Igwe Omoke, told reporters on Thursday that apprehending the culprits at the airports alone and leaving their bosses to continue business was simply a stop-gap measure.

The military officer made the demand during the destruction of hard drugs worth 135 million Naira in Abuja.

Lieutenant Colonel Omoke commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and stressed that the hunt for culprits would be intensified.

The staggering number of arrests of drug traffickers by the NDLEA and other security agencies has become alarming to say the least, in spite of stiff penalties for offenders both in and outside Nigeria.

Violence by drug traffickers has also become indiscriminate.

Enforcement agencies continue to battle the trend, exempting no one. But the war seems unending.

It is a business with high risks and high monetary gains, with huge damage to the health of individuals that use them.

The Head of Forensic and Commander of Narcotics, NDLEA, Margaret Ogundipe, said, “The damage to the health, apparently, is immeasurable.”

The commander also said funding remained an issue for the agency’s efficiency.

But in spite of this challenge, the Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, assured reporters that the government would not relent in the fight against drug trafficking.

•Sourced from Channels TV. Photo shows Army Chief, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah.