South West Have Highest Cases Of Drug Abuse – NDLEA

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has said drug abuse in Nigeria is more prevalent in the South West region.

The retired brigadier disclosed this during the inauguration of a rehabilitation center for drug addicts in Ogbomoso, Oyo State on Friday.

He revealed that the rate of drug abuse in the South-West had been found to be 22.4 percent, with the South-South and South-East following with 16.6 and 13.8 percent, respectively

The NDLEA boss added that the North-East has 13.6 percent cases of drug abuse, while the North-West and North-Central have 12 and 10 percent cases of drug abuse.

He explained that criminal activities such as insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping would continue to thrive until the issue of drug abuse is dealt with.

In his words: “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. There is no community that 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.”