Drug abuse at red alert level, NDLEA boss warns

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has called for the declaration of emergency on drug to address the rising cases of illicit drug peddling and abuse in Nigeria.

NDLEA chairman, retired Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallahi, who spoke when the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Moji Christianah Adeyeye visited him in Abuja, said drug abuse among Nigerian youths is at ‘red alert’ level.

“Drug in Nigeria should be declared as emergency in Nigeria, even ahead of terrorism. This is because terrorism is hugely fueled by drug abuse.

“A typical evidence of this is that huge amount of drugs like tramadol and the likes are usually found in all the Boko Haram camps that have been dislodged so far, which is an indication that most of them perpetrate the act of terrorism under influence of drugs,” the NDLEA boss said.

The DG of NAFDAC stressed the need for the two agencies to synergize in addressing the increasing incidences of drug abuse among young Nigerians.

Prof Adeyeye said the partnership would create opportunity for collaboration without issues regarding the specific and general mandates of the two agencies.

The NAFDAC boss said the visit to NDLEA was to foster familiarity among the leadership of the twin agencies “so that we can work with better results to the benefit of Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, the two agencies have agreed that there is an urgent need to form a joint taskforce on drug abuse.