The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement, Agency NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd), says about 15 million people abuse drugs in Nigeria.
Marwa made the remark when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Narcotics to defend the 2023 budget proposal of the NDLEA.
He stated that Nigeria has a drug prevalence of 14.4% which is nearly three times the global average.
The figure, according to him, “is equal to the population of Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Gambia and Liberia.”
“With a drug prevalence of 14.4%, nearly thrice the global average, 14.3 Nigerians are abusing drugs. This is equal to the population of Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Gambia and Liberia combined. We wish to assure this esteemed Committee, that we are resolute and will remain upstanding in rising to the challenge of our mandate which is to eliminate the cultivation, processing, manufacturing, sale, trafficking and use of illicit drugs and psychotropic substances,” Marwa said.
Marwa disclosed that the agency has made a huge positive difference in tackling both drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
He also appealed to the committee not to reduce its budget; rather, more should be added for effective combat of drug barons.
“We appeal for more funding for the barracks project and please we urge that no area of our budget is to be reduced as we are still in need of enhancement. I wish to also assure the Committee of the Agency’s readiness to fully cooperate with the National Assembly to continue to drive its mandate towards a drug-free Nigeria,” he said.
The NDLEA boss also urged Nigerians to assist the agency by reporting the establishment of such laboratories or factories in their areas.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Narcotics, Francis Agbo, said that the House would assist the agency through the amendment of the NDLEA act, as well as lobbying for more budgetary allocation to the agency.
Agbo noted that “the House would also ensure that the NDLEA is adequately equipped through the provision of digital scanners, sniffer dogs, weapons and staff to effectively carry out their mandate.”
“We are doing this because we know that the best form of defense attacks and we want to use this opportunity to call on the NDLEA to continue attacking them, the drug barons, addicts, they should keep attacking. They should not rest on their oars and the only way you make sure they don’t rest is to make sure that they have the funds needed for this, that they have the personnel needed for this. It’s to also make sure that they have the equipment needed for this, like scanners, sniffer dogs, arms and ammunition. So, that as the drug barons see our men, they will know very clearly that they are in for trouble,” Agbo said.
He said that it was the responsibility of the National Assembly to increase the agency’s budget when there was a need for it.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
