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The recent plan by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to collaborate with its Pakistani counterparts, the Division of Controlled Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and Controlled Substances Section, Ministry of Narcotics Control, to plug the channels of trafficking illicit drugs between Nigeria and Pakistan is laudable.
According to the agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, “the strategic case meeting, which brought the two countries together to discuss their responsibilities, held under the supervision of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) focused on improved communication and exchange of real time intelligence using the INCB communication tools, Ion Incident Communication System (IONICS), between NDLEA and the Pakistani anti-narcotics agencies.”
He also disclosed that the two delegations adopted important resolutions on how to improve their cooperation and tackle the menace of illicit drug trafficking between both countries, especially pharmaceutical opioids such as Tramadol. The importance of the meeting is further underscored by the fact that narco-trends analysis of the weekly press statements by the NDLEA shows that some Class A drugs and opioids, especially Tramadol and Codeine often come from Brazil, India and Pakistan.
It is commendable that this collaboration with Pakistan is a follow-up to a similar arrangement to work with the Indian authorities to combat illegal drug trafficking between the two countries. We urge the NDLEA to also make arrangement with Brazil to check illicit drug trafficking if it has not done so.
In December last year, Nigeria and India reached an agreement to exchange vital intelligence on the activities of drug trafficking syndicates operating vulnerable drug routes between both countries. Under the agreement, India will also strengthen the capacity of NDLEA officers through training. The NDLEA delegation to the two-day bilateral meeting held in New Delhi, India, was led by the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), while its Indian counterpart, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), was led by its Director General, Mr. Satya Narayan Pradhan.
Other highlights of that meeting included the exchange of best practices in drug demand and reduction, as well as the sharing of real time information on the involvement of nationals of both countries in drug trafficking and conducting joint operations to combat the growing global drug scourge. One of the objectives of the Indian meeting was the collaboration between NDLEA and the NCB on how to control the importation of Tramadol above 100 mg and certain categories of precursors into Nigeria. It was also agreed that another bilateral meeting between the two countries will hold in Nigeria later in the year.
The consumption of illicit drugs has become a global problem that must be jointly tackled by all countries. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2022 revealed that about 284 million people aged 14-64 used drugs worldwide in 2022. This represents a 26 per cent increase over the previous decade. It has been established that young people are using more drugs, with use levels today in many countries higher than with the previous generation. Also, people under 35 years of age represent the majority of people being treated for drug use disorders in Africa and Latin America.
We commend the leadership of the NDLEA for collaborating with Pakistan and India to plug illicit drug channels between them and Nigeria. The proactive move by Marwa to close the sources of the illicit drugs is strategic and must be supported by all the stakeholders in the anti-narcotics war. Without doubt, this will effectively check the supply of these harmful substances.
We also acknowledge the giant strides made by the NDLEA under his able watch to apprehend illicit drug traffickers and prosecute them. For instance, from January 2021 to December 2022, the anti-narcotics agency arrested 26,458 drug traffickers, 34 drug barons and convicted 3,733 persons. During the period under review, it seized 5,730,00kg or 5,730 tons of drugs and cash worth N500billion.
The agency also counselled and rehabilitated 19,401 persons and destroyed 784,908 hectares of cannabis farms. Considering the linkage between drug consumption and crime, the federal government should continue to strengthen the agency in its stride to tackle the illicit drug menace.
