N28m Worth Alcoholic Drinks Destroyed In Minna

The Niger State Liquor Licensing Board has said it has secured 800 convictions at the courts against those flouting the liquor law in the state.

It also said it had destroyed 2,868 cartons of different alcoholic drinks worth N28m.

The outgoing Chairman of the Board, Yahaya Halidu, who disclosed this in a chat with Northern City News in Minna on Tuesday, added that his officials also arrested prostitutes at different drinking joints.

“At the slightest opportunity they (liquor operators) have, they go against the law; some of them don’t even operate with licence; they take the law into their hands and that was why we went as far as destroying alcoholic drinks worth N28m,” he stated.

Halidu added, “Since they don’t want to abide by the law of the liquor board, we don’t have any option but to deal with them ruthlessly so that it will serve as a deterrent to others.”

He said the renewed effort to rid the state of the production, sales and consumption of alcohol was successful “because of the political will of the present administration in the state. “

The chairman commended the staff of the board for working hard to enforce the state liquor law and urged them not to relent until the state was rid of illegal sale of alcohol.

He said the board would continue to enforce the law which stipulates that no alcohol should be sold within eight kilometres radius from the town.