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President Muhammadu Buhari has described the danger posed by illicit drugs as deadlier than insurgency, banditry and other threats bedeviling the country. The President stated this at the launch of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), an initiative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in commemoration of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking with the theme, ‘Share Facts On Drugs. Save Lives’.
According to the President, war against drug abuse is more deadly than the insurgency in the North East or the acts of banditry in the North West or the acts of kidnapping that transcend all geo-political zones, because it is a war that is destroying three generations.
“This is a war targeting three generations in a stretch. So, it is deadlier than even the security challenges that we have in this country and I believe strongly that every effort must be put in place to ensure that we deal with the issues of substance abuse, trafficking and manufacture, so that we can get to the root cause of insecurity confronting this nation,” Buhari stated.
The President’s position underscores the danger arising from unrestrained use of drugs, especially among the youths. Illicit drug use and banditry are both inimical to the security and development of the nation and call for adequate attention. Since the youths, who represent the future of the nation, are the most vulnerable to drug abuse, the menace requires more concerted effort to control.
A 2019 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse indicated that nearly 15 per cent of the adult population in Nigeria (around 14.3 million people) reported a “considerable level” of use of psychoactive drug substances – a rate higher than the 2016 global average of 5.6 per cent among adults. It showed that the highest level of drug use was recorded among people aged between 25 and 39.
The trend has gone up, accounting for Nigeria being described as a major transit camp for drug use and trafficking in Africa. Apart from the abuse of cannabis, drug use habits in Nigeria have devolved with young people increasingly resorting to other abuses as sedatives, heroin and cocaine at fatal overdoses. Some resort to concoctions as, “gutter water,” a widely consumed cocktail of drugs, a mix of codeine, tramadol, rohypnol, cannabis and water or juice. Young adults are also involved in the practice, taking such dangerous mixtures as lizard parts and dung as well as sniffing glue, petrol, sewage and urine as inhalants. There are many consequences of drug abuse aside from lethal health challenges. Drug trafficking constitutes a major conduit for illicit financial outflow. The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), put the value of drugs seized in the past five months at over N90 billion. Marwa also revealed that 2.05 million kilogrammes of drugs was intercepted and seized across the country and over 2,180 traffickers arrested while 2,100 drug offenders were prosecuted with 500 jailed by courts during the period under review. The scenario shows the extent of involvement of Nigerians in the illicit drug business and the danger it poses to the security of the country.
It is good that the President has charged the NDLEA to step up the fight against drug abuse by destroying production sites and laboratories, breaking supply chain, discouraging usage while also prosecuting offenders and traffickers. Buhari’s charge notwithstanding, the war against drug abuse and trafficking must be fought by all Nigerians. It is a fight that calls for a multi-sectoral approach to solve.
Drug epidemic has become a present danger to the country. Drugs have psychological effects on the users. They contribute to the high rate of crimes and other anti-social behaviours among the youths and young adults. Addressing the menace requires identifying the root causes for targeted intervention by the government and other stakeholders. Poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, glamourisation of wealth, peer group influence and erosion of moral values are believably the major factors fueling the rising drug abuse culture.
Government should rehabilitate drug users and integrate them into the society. Those cultivating cannabis and other harmful substances can be trained to grow food crops. Although the NDLEA is doing much in drug seizures and interceptions, it should go further to apprehend the drug barons and not only the couriers. The agency should also scale up its awareness campaign on the dangers of drug trafficking and abuse in all parts of the country.
