Marwa laments 14% drug use prevalence more than doubles global average
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman Buba Marwa has lamented that 10.6 million Nigerians consume cannabis and other illicit drugs which contribute to the high level of insecurity across the country.
Those who abuse cannabis in Nigeria are more than the population of Portugal or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he disclosed in Abuja at the 40th Olumide Memorial Lecture on “Dangers of Illicit Substances to National Development’’.
“What is worse, our country’s drug use prevalence of 14.4 per cent is one of the highest in the world compared to the global average of 5.6 per cent, and there is a connection between illicit drugs and crime and insecurity,” he said.
“The camps of insurgents and bandits cleared by troops are always littered with illicit drugs, ranging from cannabis to pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled drugs like pentazocine. Rescued hostages testified how the abductors used them.
“We will also remember that one of the fugitives recaptured by NDLEA operatives after escaping from the Kuje Correctional facility was caught with rolls of cannabis, just three days after the jailbreak.
“These instances proved that there is a connection between the abuse of psychoactive drugs and criminal actions. Illicit drugs are catalysts to crime and have been one of the contributing factors to Nigeria’s unending insecurity.”
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Escalated fight against drug abuse
Marwa disclosed the NDLEA has been working hard in the past 21 months to shut down the illicit drug complex, per The Guardian.
“We have located and dismantled two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Lagos and Anambra States. Our offensive against cannabis continues unabated. We seized 2,139. 55 kilograms of cocaine in Ikorodu.
“Similarly, we have arrested over 19,000 traffickers with over 3,000 sentenced to jail within 20 months. We equally seized over 5.4 million kilograms of illicit substances and destroyed over 714 hectares of cannabis farms across six states.
“We have commissioned a 24/7 drug abuse call centre and are also working on increasing the rehabilitation centres in the country. In the same vein, we are training lots of stakeholders on Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Care (DPTC).”
