The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned that the country’s drug abuse crisis is a ticking time bomb that requires urgent and comprehensive action from all stakeholders.
The anti-narcotic agency emphasized that drug abuse has escalated into a severe national problem, affecting people across all social classes and regions.
The NDLEA highlighted that drug addiction is not confined to the streets and common individuals but is also increasingly prevalent among very important persons (VIPs) in the country.
This was stated by Mrs. Ibinabo Archie-Abia, Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, Directorate of Operations and Investigation, NDLEA, during an interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday.
Addressing the issue of drug abuse impacting the workplace, she stated,
“We go to the workplace, we organise seminars and workshops, we take it to their companies, and the factories because for most persons that abuse these drugs, people think they are the low-class ones or those people you see on the road, it’s not true. We have high-profile persons abusing drugs, managing directors, VIPs or their children into drugs. So these things translate to the workplace.
“For the VIPs, they have the money to do the drugs, we are also talking to them. They can come out of it if they have the will because it’s doing them no good, rather it’s destroying their persons. We have so many of them.”
She decried the prevalent abuse of drugs among children and women in the country, saying the statistics show “for every four abusers of drugs there are three females.”
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“The drug problem is now very highly worrisome. I want to see it now as an epidemic in Nigeria. Nigerians ought to know that primary school pupils are also in drugs now, girls are involved in drugs, as young as age nine they go into drugs. We have to be careful not to think it’s only in the secondary schools.
“We are not just talking to the youths, we are talking to the adults. Please be careful, save our nation.
“It’s a big issue, it’s challenging, it’s worrisome, in fact, it’s a ticking timed bomb,” she said, adding that “even pregnant women are into it and they don’t get help. Because of the stigma, the women hide away, they don’t do it in public, but they are hooked on drugs.”
She stated that drug addicts can be treated and rehabilitated to overcome their addiction, but urged relevant stakeholders to assist in identifying cases for intervention and cautioned against stigmatizing the victims of this issue.
She stated that drug addicts can be treated and rehabilitated to overcome their addiction, but urged relevant stakeholders to assist in identifying cases for intervention and cautioned against stigmatizing the victims of this issue.
“Recently we counselled the children of very high profiled persons, some who were in schools and left, and they are hooked on drugs. We found them on the streets, and their parents came for us to help. We took them in and they are now restored.
Source: Arise TV
