By Cross Udo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said Nigeria is winning the war against drug abuse and that the days of the scourge and dependency in the country are numbered.

This came just as the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), has said that the agency has begun radical reforms to provide treatment, care, and rehabilitation.

On its Corporate Social Responsibility, the MTN Foundation has promised to continue to partner with NDLEA to rid the country of illicit drugs.

Speaking at the United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, at the old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, Osinbajo decried the prevailing menace of drug abuse in Nigeria, a development he said portends grave consequences for young people and undermines the security of the country.

The theme of the 2022 celebration is “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises.”

The Vice President said, “We are winning this war. The days of the scourge of drug abuse and dependency are numbered, but it will involve even greater investment in focus and determination for the long haul.

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) especially in the last two years under the dynamic leadership of General Buba Marwa, the NDLEA Chairman, has been fiercer and sharper in its determination to stamp out drug abuse and trafficking in the country. His vision and strong resolve have given the war against drug trafficking and abuse new energy, purpose, and clearer direction.

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“I am glad to hear that in 2021, about 8,000 drug users were counselled and rehabilitated by the NDLEA, and in the first half of this year alone, over 11,000 drug users have been counselled and treated. We must maintain a multi-dimensional and holistic approach to tackling drug abuse.

“In the past 17 months, the elderly we are told has recorded over 17,647 arrests of offenders including 10 drug barons and I’m sure that that number increases every day if you’re following the news, with over 2369, convicted persons and over 150,000 kilograms of drugs that have been seized within the same period.

“So, the statistics show that 5.5% of the population aged between 15 and 64 years used drugs at least once since 2018. This is precisely the age bracket that we cannot afford to lose to drugs.”

Osinbajo, while lamenting the increasing trends of drug abuse in areas of conflict and post conflict settings, such as in IDP and refugee camps, said the development was a special concern to Nigeria, especially as the country is in the throes of civil conflict and terrorism, resulting in the displacement of large numbers of our population.

He said that young people who are usually the most vulnerable to the drug, also form the majority of armed combatants and the resultant widespread use of drugs by the terrorists.

Speaking on the approach that ensures the realization of the objective, Osinbajo said “the new normal offers us opportunities for increased innovation in tackling this menace, through technology-based monitoring systems for promptly detecting and addressing drug market changes; and also accelerating mobile outreach programmes, remote consultation, and treatment for those who suffer from drug use disorders and are without the appropriate care.”

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He further stated, “as much as the Federal Government through its agencies and the state governments would lead the charge with decisive policy initiatives, these strides must be complemented by changes at the family and community level.

“The kind of change we seek regarding drug abuse cannot happen without the collaboration of families, faith-based organizations, and community leadership at the local levels.”

Osinbajo noted that a society free of drug criminals is achievable by “relentlessly breaking illicit drug supply chains and distribution networks; discouraging drug use through intensive outreach and sensitisation; and also promptly prosecuting traffickers.”

He said communities everywhere must rise to the challenge, adding, “we must spearhead massive value reorientation across the country, reassessing cultural factors and systems that support drug abuse and trafficking.”

*As NDLEA begins rehabilitation, treatment of victims- Marwa

In his address, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), said the agency has over the past few years focused on the treatment approach of the drug war.

He said the NDLEA has set up a helpline and a website will soon be unveiled to scale up the drug war in the country.
Marwa disclosed the arrest of 10 major drug barons which he said have already been “taken out of circulation” with many more on the NDLEA’s watch list along with their foot soldiers.

He also said the agency has been involved in a series of training, including on Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care (DPTC) for the officers “to refocus from the criminalisation of drug users to provide the full gamut of health services for them.”

He said, since its realignment, the agency has made good strides in its concerted efforts at drug demand reduction activities.

The NDLEA helmsman said the agency has this year alone, counselled and rehabilitated 3, 523 drug users mostly through brief interventions in its facilities.

“We also extended the DPTC training to several NGOs to empower them with the requisite skills and knowledge to cascade the effect to communities and the grassroots.

“Given the dearth of treatment facilities in the country, it will be impossible to make the kind of gains we are targeting. To this end, we proposed the establishment of model rehabilitation centres to further make treatment accessible and affordable to more people.

“The good news is that President Muhammadu Buhari graciously, with the support of the National Assembly, approved the establishment of six rehabilitation centres across the country, three of which have been approved in this year’s budget.

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“Building treatment facilities is a good step, but it can be rendered inefficient because of the challenge of access that is inherent in a climate of stigmatisation where someone labelled “ a drug addict” is treated as a social pariah.

“To scale this hurdle, we embarked on building a toll-free NDLEA Call Centre. This project due to be commissioned on Thursday 30th June 2022, will run as a 24/7 call centre with a helpline that can be called by drug users who need help but are afraid of stigmatisation or do not know how to get help. They will be able to call toll-free and get to speak with experts such as counsellors, psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists among others.”

The NDLEA boss said President Buhari launched the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign exactly a year ago, adding that it serves multiple purposes that aid the attainment of its objectives, from enlightenment as a pathway to drug use prevention to the reorientation of the masses as a means to the eradication of stigmatisation and discrimination of drug users, among other objectives.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of MTN and former Minister of Health, Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, promised to continue to support the NDLEA in its effort to rid the country of illicit drugs.

He said, “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, we feel happy that the foundation of the MTN has become an intimate part of the programs of the NDLEA. we feel that the task ahead is just beginning and the NDLEA needs a lot of support.

The Chairman of MTN Foundation said that the telecommunication giant carried out the unplugged training for 90 secondary school teachers from nominated schools in Kano, Oyo, and River states in collaboration with the UNODC.

He explained that the nominations were guided by that body, adding that it also helped them in the area of preparing their report on drug prevalence in Nigeria.