14.4 % Nigerians Consume Illicit Drugs – NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised alarm over the 14.4 per cent of the country’s population that used illicit drugs, saying such figures has posed threat to the safety and security of the  nation.


Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA  Col. Muhammad Abdallah (rtd) who disclosed this in Lokoja on Thursday during the occasion of public destruction of 18,083. 787 kilogrammes of drug exhibits by the Kogi state command of the agency, stated that  the report released recently  by the United Nations Office on drugs and crime indicated that the percentage was between the age group of 15 and 65 years of the nation population.

Represented by Director of Narcotics, Femi Olaruntoba, the Chairman said:  “The Nigeria Drug use survey recently released by the United Nations Office on drugs and Crime , UNODC came up with findings that are striking and alarming on the pervasive drug use problem in the country” 

While calling for concerted efforts to mitigate the negative consequences of drugs on the health, socioeconomic and security of the nation, the NDLEA Chairman revealed that the agency was already  strengthening its drug demand reduction strategies to improve its visibility in clear identified places such as market place, motor parks, schools, places frequently used among others.

He however, charged all the stakeholders in the drug control  chain to foster a more responsive synergy and maintain a stronger foothold in the onslaught against the nefarious drug merchants who are becoming increasingly violent.

“About a month ago , an attack was launched against our staff in Ondo state leading to loss of four lives of the officers. This came barely one year after a similar incident occurred  in Okene , Kogi state where the agency lost three of its staff to some unknown gun men” he said.

Speaking on the cultivation of Cannabis for medicinal and wellness purposes in the country, the Chairman of the agency, stated that the law prohibiting cannabis or dealing has not been repealed, stressing that the cultivation and dealing in cannabis still remain an offence.

He refuted claims that the agency had granted license or approval to any person or corporate organization for the cultivation and production of medicinal cannabis oil and powder.

In his remark, the state governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government Dr  Folashade Ayoade Arike described the event as symbolic, saying the destruction of the illicit drugs has safe the lives of many citizens in the state and the country at large.

The governor commended the agency for the effort in seizing such huge kilogrammes of the drugs, assuring that the state government under his leadership would continue to give maximum support to NDLEA to perform its statutory functions in the interest of humanity.

He called on parents to be wary of the activities of their children and type of friends they keep, noting that a child that is so engross in drugs abuse can not have quality future.

Earlier, the Kogi State Commander of NDLEA, Idris Bello, appealed to parents, schools, corporate organizations, religious bodies and government to continue to support the fight against the deadly monster.  

Leave a Reply