The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) has said the South-West and South-South have the highest drug abuse cases in the country.
He also said there is a link between drug abuse and insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, saying these crimes would continue to thrive until drug abuse was addressed.
Marwa, a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, said this in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Friday during the inauguration of a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts called ‘Behavioural Action Centre’, built by a group known as Ogbomoso First Initiative.
The new NDLEA helmsman said the rate of drug abuse in the South-West was 22.4 per cent, with the South-South and South-East following with 16.6 and 13.8 per cent, respectively, Punch reports.
According to him, the North-East, North-West and North-Central came after with 13.6, 12 and 10 per cent, respectively.
Marwa said, “We are facing drug challenge in Nigeria but it is a solvable challenge. To achieve this, all stakeholders must come together to solve the problem. Drug challenge does not discriminate between Christians and Muslims. No community is not affected by this debilitating issue.
“Banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and other criminal activities all have their root in the use of hard substances. Until we face the menace squarely, the problem of insecurity will continue to remain with us.”
He urged the traditional rulers, religious centres and schools to rise against this drug abuse challenge, especially among the youths.
Commending the Ogbomoso First Initiative for building the rehab centre, Marwa said it was the first rehab centre in the South-West built by individuals.
He urged governors to build at least three rehabilitation centres in their states, saying each senatorial district ought to have one.
He urged the Ogbomoso people to be the first set of people to demand drug-free certificates before giving their daughters’ hands in marriage or before allowing their sons to marry any lady. He said by so doing; youths would refrain from drugs because they would know that they would not be allowed to get married for drugs use.