By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture said it is partnering with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to launch a national campaign against drug trafficking and illicit use of drugs in the country.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the disclosed yesterday in Abuja when he received the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), on a courtesy visit to his
office.
The minister said the level of involvement of using illicit drug and trafficking has become a menace in the society from township to rural areas.
He said the war against illicit drugs and tackling drug trafficking is one of the most important tasks in the country today.
“considering that drug trafficking, money laundering by traffickers and the use of illicit drugs are closely linked to the nation’s security,well being of the citizens, the moral fabric of the society and even governance.
“It is common knowledge that drug money can be used to finance insurgency and terrorism. A successful fight against drug trafficking will therefore help to deny or reduce funding for insurgency.
“The kind of vicious banditry and kidnapping for ransom that our country has witnessed in recent times cannot be totally separated from illicit drug use and their effects on users who take to crime.” he stated .
He said the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will work with NDLEA to give maximum publicity of their activities, especially in the area of
advocacy.
“I will also encourage the NDLEA to work with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), which has set up Integrity Clubs in Secondary Schools nationwide, to reach the young ones with its campaign against drug use,” he said.
Mohammed commended the NDLEA Chairman for recording impressive achievements in less than three months of his appointment, particularly in restoring the visibility of the Agency for local and international partnerships.
He said others are boosting the morale and confidence of staffers, attracting international support and the ‘offensive action’ against drug cartels that has led to the arrest of 2,175 drug traffickers, seizure of 2,050,765.33 kilogrammes of illicit drugs as well as cash and drug seizures worth N75 billion.
Earlier, In his remarks, the NDLEA Chairman, Gen. Marwa (Rtd), said drug abuse has assumed an alarming proportion in Nigeria, which, he said, has about 15
million drug users between the age bracket of 15 and 64, 25% of whom are females.
Gen. Marwa, explained that drug abuse has been fueling insecurity in the country, said the agency had arrested two traffickers from Niger Republic and Chad, who confessed to supplying illicit drugs to bandits.
He sought the collaboration of the ministry and its agencies to launch a nationwide public sensitization on drug demand reduction drive through advocacy programmes in the media in order to curb drug abuse in the country.
The chairman also commended the Minister for the excellent work he has been doing, along with the agencies under him, ‘’to promote the good work
of the Federal Government and the country as a whole’’.
