The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has reached a conclusion that Nigeria has the highest number of persons serving jail terms for drug offences all over the world.
The NDLEA commander in Niger State, Mr. Iweajuna Okechukwu disclosed this while celebrating the 2015 UN Drug Free Day in Minna in Friday, June 26, 2015.
“There is no doubt that as a country, the menace of drug abuse and trafficking is one of the biggest problems staring us in the face today.
“All over the world, Nigerians are notorious for drug trafficking. We have the highest number of traffickers serving jail terms more than any other country in the world,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this year’s Drug Free Day is tagged: “Let’s Develop our Lives, our communities and our identities without drugs.”
Okechukwu said that the recent Indonesian saga involving Nigerians was a pointer to the claim.
He said that in Niger there was a serious issue of drug abuse, especially the prescription drugs and psychotropic substances such as tramadol, rohypnol and diazepam.
According to him, other drugs abused in the state include Librium, cough syrups with codeine, sukudia (suck and die), glue, solutions, petrol, gutter dirt, zakami, lizard dung and cannabis sativa (Indian hemp).
He said that the harmful habit was common among the youths, married women, secondary school students and primary school pupils.
The agency’s commander urged parents, teachers, religious leaders, state government and traditional leaders to see drug abuse as a societal problem that must be tackled by all stakeholders toward minimising it.
Okechukwu advised the people of the state to desist from abusing drugs and report illegal drug dealings to the agency.
