Gov Mbah inaugurates a 32- man Enugu Drug Control Committee to tackle illicit drugs menace

In a bid to strengthening the state’s coordinated response to drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, the Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has inaugurated a 32- man the Enugu State Drug Control Committee, with the Governor’s wife Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah as the chairman,

Inaugurating the Committee on Monday , 17Th August,2026, at the office of the wife of the State Governor, Government House, Enugu, Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia., urged the.members to adopt a coordinated approach involving government agencies, security organisations, health professionals, traditional institutions, civil society and other stakeholders.

SSG, Prof Onyia

In an acceptance speech on behalf of the committee, Mrs. Mbah expressed appreciation to Governor Mbah for the confidence reposed in the members. She pledged that the committee would work diligently with relevant stakeholders to tackle drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Enugu State.
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Speaking at the event, the NDLEA Enugu State Commander, Paul Audu, said the agency would pursue a three-pronged strategy of dismantling illicit drug supply networks, attacking the financial proceeds of drug trafficking and mobilising communities against drug abuse.

Wife of Enugu state Governor, Mrs Nkechinnyere Mbah

He said the command would arrest and prosecute drug dealers, trace them to their hideouts and confiscate assets acquired through proceeds of illicit drug activities.

“We’ll send them to jail, we’ll forfeit their assets. They’ll end up with nothing.”
He stressed that the fight against illicit drugs would be without discrimination, warning that security personnel and NDLEA officers involved in drug trafficking would also face the full weight of the law.

Enugu state Commander, Audi

Audu added that the NDLEA would also intensify collaboration with communities, schools, churches, mosques and other institutions to educate young people on the dangers of drug abuse and support those affected by addiction.
He disclosed that the previous Enugu State Drug Control Committee, inaugurated in 2018, became moribund due to technical challenges, expressing satisfaction that it had now been revived under the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030.

Zonal Commander, Zone 11, ACGN Owoputi Adekunle Joseph

On his part, the NDLEA Zonal Commander, Zone 11, comprising Enugu and. Ebonyi states, ACGN Owoputi Adekunle Joseph, said the committee was part of the Federal Government’s strategy to decentralise the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
He stressed that enforcement alone was no longer sufficient, calling for a whole-of-society approach involving traditional and religious institutions, schools, youth groups, health professionals, civil society and government agencies.

A traditional ruler and committee member, His Royal Majesty Igwe Dr. Herbert Okota, pledged the support of traditional rulers in the fight against drug abuse.
Okota said the committee would focus particularly on drug sellers and distributors, noting that disrupting the supply chain would make it more difficult for users to access illicit substances.

“I am assuring the Enugu State Government that our committee will go after the sellers and distributors of this illicit drug,” he said.
The committee, which has the NDLEA ,Enugu state Commander as Secretary, with the NDLEA Enugu Command as secretariat

, The Committee members with the SSG,Prof Chidiebere Onyia ( middle)

comprises representatives of government ministries, security agencies, health institutions, traditional institutions, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders.