Join crusade against drug trafficking, Marwa charges elites

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has charged Nigerian elites to support the agency’s drive in curbing the scourge of substance abuse and illicit trafficking in the country.

Retired Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, gave the charge in his keynote speech at the Island Club Business Forum on Tuesday in Lagos.

Marwa urged the elites to join government in the fight against drug trafficking and the scourge of substance abuse.

“This is not a challenge for government alone, all of us are stakeholders on this issue and it was an assignment for all Nigerians.

“The standard whole-of-society approach to 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.

“Everyone 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 said.

He said the call became imperative due to the forecast by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2021 World Drug Report that drug use in Africa would rise by 49 per cent by 2030.

“By and large, the outlook of the future will depend on our action or inaction at curbing the drug abuse trend.

“I, being an optimist, believe the future favours Nigeria―only if we get the matrix right. A lot has been said about the future belonging to Africa.

“Indeed, the potential is glaring, when you factor in the continent’s burgeoning youth population, the digital aptitude of the younger generation and the enterprising spirit of young people.

“But a lot of work has to go into the making of that vision. If we read the statistics correctly, the world’s biggest drug problem of the future could be in Africa.

“So, the future could be bright or bleak; it could be one of boom or gloom; it could be decades of prosperity or problems depending on the amount of work we are willing to do today.

“Tomorrow, the saying goes, belongs to the people who prepare for it today,” he said.

Marwa said the enormity of the problem was 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 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms,” he said.