Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), expressed his worries regarding the alarming number of drug users in Nigeria’s North-West, indicating that over three million residents are facing issues related to drug abuse.
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He disclosed this information on Tuesday during a two-day interactive session focused on government-citizen engagement that took place in Kaduna. Marwa pointed out that drug abuse ranks among the top three challenges confronting Nigeria.
He referenced a recent United Nations report revealing that 14 million Nigerians are currently struggling with drug addiction.
“The South-West has the highest prevalence at 24.4 percent, followed by the South-South at 18 percent. The South-East stands at 13.8 percent, the North-East at 13.4 percent, the North-West at 12 percent, and the North-Central at 10 percent,” he explained.
“Even a rate of 12 percent is significant. This indicates that in the North-West, there are over 3 million drug users, with Kano alone accounting for about one million,” Marwa remarked.
He cautioned that drug abuse is not only devastating families and youth but is also contributing to crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism.
Marwa further noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has enhanced the NDLEA’s capacity to combat drug abuse more effectively by offering increased support, modern equipment, and a larger workforce.
“Since President Tinubu took office, we have access to better tools, more personnel, and stronger backing. We are now operational at airports, seaports, highways, and we even have a marine command,” he concluded.