The Chairman/ Chief executive of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency NDLEA retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, says about fifteen million Nigerians abuse drugs.
General 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 drugs prevalance of 14.4 percent, which is nearly there times the global average.
The figure according to him, is equal to the population of Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Gambia and Liberia.
Marwa disclosed that the agency has made a huge positive difference on tackling both drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
“We have from 2021 January made arrests of over 19,000 drug barons. We seized 5,452 million kilograms, the value of which is over N420 billion naira. We have sent over 3,000 to jail, and we have counselled over 12,000 in our rehabilitation centers. We have also destroyed about 714 hectres of canabis farms.
He also disclosed that the agency has successfully dismantled twenty crystal meth laboratories in the country.
The NDLEA boss 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 Mr Francis Agbo, stated 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.
Mr Agbo added that the house would also ensure that the agency is adequately equiped through the provision of digital scanners, sniffer dogs, weapons and staff to effectively carry out their mandate.
RADIO NIGERIA