Declare a state of emergency on drug abuse, NDLEA to Tinubu

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 emphasized 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.

He said, “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 informed the group of parents, students, and business leaders that since NDLEA was retooled three years ago after he took over as its 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. As a result, he said, it is now imperative that everyone support the ongoing effort.

He said the enormity of the problem is further reflected by the anti-drug activities of the NDLEA in the past three years. “In just three years, we have arrested 52,901 traffickers, including 52 barons, and 9,034 have been convicted. The barons we have arrested are not anonymous people in society.

“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 added