Nigeria seeks global action against drug trafficking, terrorism

NIGERIA has called for robust international cooperation to frustrate the links between drug trafficking and terrorism, illicit financial flows, smuggling of migrants and other forms of organised crime. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA), Brig. General Mohammed Buba Marwa ( rtd), made the call, yesterday, at the ongoing 64th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs ( CND) holding in Vienna, Austria. In a statement, the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said Marwa underscored the importance of technical assistance by UNODC, which has greatly assisted some countries and positively impacted global efforts to address the drug problem, urging its continuation.

According to Marwa, Nigeria has continued to implement drug control policies and strategies to respond to emerging realities, but despite the effort, trafficking and abuse of controlled substances persist. “First, the cultivation and high traffic of cannabis and its abuse have been on the increase.

“Our national drug use survey in 2019 revealed that over 10 million persons abused cannabis in one year. In similar pattern, the 2019 and 2020 world drug reports identified cannabis as the most abused substance with its threat to security, health and wellbeing of the global population.

“Trafficking and non- medical use of synthetic and pharmaceuticals opioids, especially Tramadol, remains a challenge. This is in spite of our domestic control efforts as well as two tripartite meetings, facilitated by UNODC, involving Nigeria, Ghana and India, held in New Delhi and Lagos in 2019, to address the Tramadol crisis.

“Nigeria, therefore, reiterates that legalisation of the illicit use of cannabis is a violation of the Drug Control Treaties. There is urgent need for change in the control measures for Tramadol and other pharmaceuticals,” Marwa told the global audience.