Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency N(DLEA), Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd), has reiterated the warning that all drug barons and traffickers should desist from the illicit trade or be ready to face the consequences.
Marwa gave the warning through the NDLEA‘s Assistant State Commander of Operations and Intelligence and Deputy Commander of Narcotics, Anthony Tala Gotar, in Oyo State on Thursday, during the marking of 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.
The event was held in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health, at its Conference Hall, State Secretariat, Ibadan.
Gotar, who represented the state Commander, Barrister Josephine Obi, stated that the Oyo command was also determined to rid the state of the menace of drug abuse and trafficking.
He enumerated the dangers caused by drug abuse and drug trafficking, saying that aside from being the cause of all forms of criminality, it had incapacitated the workforce of organisations and ruined communities and societies.
He added that it had brought about family disintegration, decimated the capacities of youths and given rise to crimes like insurgency, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, rape and violent extremism.
Gotar disclosed that the renewed efforts of the new leadership of NDLEA had yielded tremendous success in the state command, with the arrest of 231 suspects comprising 215 male suspects, 16 female suspects, and recovered 6,355.7433kg of Cannabis Sativa and other psychotropic substances between June 2020 to June 2021.
“NDLEA is ever determined to consolidate on its success but this cannot be done in isolation, therefore the co-operation of all and sundry is needed to win this war.
“We must end all these vices caused by drug abuse and drug trafficking. This year’s theme states thus, ‘Share facts on Drugs, Save Lives’ which suggests that we need collaboration, help and support from all of us, especially those present here, to share our knowledge and understanding about drug abuse and drug trafficking with others, which will help in no small measure in curbing this dangerous phenomenon,” he emphasised.
He also warned people, especially youths, to be cautious of what they eat at ceremonies or eateries, disclosing that a major challenge had been that more substances of abuse were daily being introduced into the street, such as cookies recently discovered to have been on sale at an eatery.
He noted that some people stuff narcotics and dangerous drugs inside snacks and drinks, especially at public events.
In his own remarks, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Bashir Victor Bello, called for concerted efforts by individuals, societies, groups, Non-Governmental Organisations and governments at all levels to curb the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.
Dr Bello noted that the issue of drug abuse and misuse had become a hydra-headed one that would require the cooperation of all to fight it to a standstill or, at least, bring it to the barest minimum.
He said that this year’s theme couldn’t have come at a better time than the present, with many false claims or myth being circulated about drugs and drug usage.
Dr Bello disclosed that Oyo was rated second in drug usage, according to a drug utilisation 2018 report released by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.
He added that a former Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Otunba Lanre Ipinmoso, the report also said that over 40 per cent of Nigerian youths had abused drugs at one time or the other.
Dr Bello, who identified poverty and unemployment as factors contributing to drug abuse and illicit trafficking, explained that the government was already taking steps to reduce the menace through the provision of free education and employment for the youths.
In his contribution, the chairman, Oyo State Drug Abuse and Control Committee, Pharmacist Lukman Akinwande said that the state was set to clamp down on consumers and sellers of illicit drugs, in order to rid it of criminals.
Akinwande stressed that consumers and sellers of illicit drugs would not be tolerated, so as to end criminality.
He called on religious bodies, NGOs, teachers, parents and political office holders to come up with more sensitization programmes to curb the menace.
The chairman of, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, the Oyo State branch, Mr Sam Obitoye, called for the establishment of a task force to enforce existing laws on drug abuse.
Mr Obitoye, who lamented that there had been an increase in reported psychiatric cases, urged the government to expedite action at curbing the menace.
Also contributing, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Doctor Muftau Ayoola represented by a Director in the ministry, Wole Lawal, called for collaboration of everyone at fighting drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
In a goodwill message the Special Assistant to the governor on youth and sports, Kazeem Bolarinwa advised the youths to shun any act that could tarnish their image.
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