NDLEA Requests President Tinubu to Declare State of Emergency on Drug Abuse
Brig Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd), the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, has called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to impose a drug abuse emergency.
Marwa made this statement while urging Nigerian elites to support the NDLEA’s all-encompassing strategy to combat the nation’s drug misuse and trafficking problems.
He emphasised that the problems associated with drug misuse may be greatly reduced in his keynote speech at the Island Club Business Forum in Lagos on Tuesday.
“This is not a challenge for the government alone. All of us are stakeholders on this issue, and it is an assignment for all Nigerians. The standard whole-of-society approach to the drug issue is such that everyone is a stakeholder. The future of Nigeria belongs to us all.
“As we are doing our bit at NDLEA, we expect society to complement our efforts by taking a huge role in preventing the young ones from falling into situations that encourage experimentation with drugs, whether licit or illicit.
“Every one of us has a role to play, and the simplest role is one of advocacy. By spreading the message, we can all become anti-drug abuse advocates. Spreading the word about the dangers of misuse of drugs can go a long way in shielding more lives from the ruins of illicit drugs. The Island Club can also join in this effort to safeguard the wellbeing of our society from the drug menace,” he stated.
He informed the group of parents, students, and business leaders that since NDLEA was retooled three years ago after he took over as organization’s leader, the agency has increased its efforts to reduce drug supply and demand, with notable results.
He added that the UNODC’s 2021 World Drug Report forecast that drug use in Africa will increase by 40% by 2030 due to population growth, particularly among those aged 25–29 and 30-34.
He claimed that the NDLEA’s anti-drug initiatives during the last three years further demonstrate the scope of the issue. 52,901 traffickers, including 52 barons, have been apprehended in just three years, and 9,034 have been found guilty. The barons who we have taken into custody are not members of the general public.
“They include big business people and socialites—some of them have chieftaincy titles—and also government officials, including those tasked with maintaining law and order. That tells how deeply the rot had eaten into the fabric of our society. Within the period, we have seized 8.6 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms,” the NDLEA boss further stated.
