‘Over 14 million Nigerians battling with drug abuse issues’ -NDLEA
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa has said that President Bola Tinubu has significantly strengthened the agency’s ability to carry out its duties effectively.
Marwa made the statement on Tuesday during his presentation at a two-day interactive session on government-citizens’ engagement in Kaduna.
According to him, drug abuse is one of the top three challenges confronting Nigeria, with over 14 million Nigerians affected.
“Over 14 million Nigerians are battling with drug abuse issues. From the South-West Region, we have 24.4 per cent drug abuse prevalence, South-South has 18 per cent, South-East 13.8, North-East 13.4, North-West 12 per cent and North-Central 10 per cent,” he said.
“These are UN figures, and they call for serious concern. 12 per cent is high, because in North-West, we have three million people, followed by Kano with one million.”
Highlighting the impact of drug abuse on national security, Marwa noted that it “not only harms our youths, societies and families, but also encourages criminal activities like kidnapping, banditry and terrorism.”
He credited President Tinubu’s administration for the recent progress made in tackling drug-related crimes.
“The Tinubu administration has done a lot in addressing drug abuse and trafficking in the country; since assuming office in May 2023, President Tinubu has shown great interest in the work of NDLEA,” he stated.
“His unwavering support has enhanced our intelligence and boosted our capacity. We now have intelligent modern tools, operations vehicles and sophisticated weapons to protect our men and women against drug cartels.”
Marwa also revealed that the agency’s staff strength has increased to 15,000 and that NDLEA is now present across the nation, including a newly established Marine Command.
“We are everywhere now; the airports, seaports, highways and the sea. We even have a Marine Command now.”
