The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, have expressed optimism that the recent amendment of the NDLEA Act by the National Assembly will strengthen Nigeria’s fight against drugs once President Bola Tinubu signs it into law.
According to a statement by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, a copy of which was emailed to Persecondnews in Abuja, the duo made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, May 28.
The AGF said: “In the past four years, we have witnessed unprecedented efforts by the NDLEA. These achievements include arrests and seizures, convictions, and elaborate evidence-based drug demand reduction interventions, using the War Against Drug Abuse(WADA) social advocacy platform to sensitise communities on the dangers of drug abuse.
“Consistent gains have been recorded within the global space by fostering international cooperation and building strong partnerships. The NDLEA has sustained the fight with renewed energy and vigour, giving hope to the once hopeless situation.
“The Federal Ministry of Justice has worked together with the NDLEA to ensure that our national legal system effectively supports the drug control efforts of the agency.
“We are at the final stage of finalising the amendment of the NDLEA Act, which will significantly enhance the organisational capability of the agency to control the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
“The Ministry is also providing appropriate support in the area of proceeds of crime management, essential to dismantling the financial networks of drug traffickers.”
While acknowledging the contributions of other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to the country’s drug control efforts, the minister, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, noted that “the work of this Inter-Ministerial Committee has been crucial in coordinating a whole-of-government approach to this critical issue.”
He also said: “By bringing together key stakeholders, we have been able to develop and implement more comprehensive and balanced strategies, applying the collaborative spirit that the NDCMP promotes.”
He commended state governments that had established their own drug control committees and civil society organizations working at community levels to ensure more holistic outcomes.
Fagbemi charged the gathering to expand prevention programmes to address the root causes of drug abuse, targeting youths, women, and vulnerable and marginalised persons in communities.
“Let us leave this meeting with renewed commitment to protecting our youth, securing our communities, and building a healthier, safer Nigeria for generations to come. The commitment made by the NDLEA, the IMC and other stakeholders holds promise for a drug-free Nigeria,” he said.
In his welcome remarks, Marwa said that despite funding challenges affecting the full implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2021-2025), the agency remained undeterred in pursuing its goal.
He said: “Instead, we remain resolute, drawing strength from our shared vision, commitment, and collective responsibility to overcome this limitation. Encouragingly, certain developments promise to bolster the achievement of our objectives.
“One such step is the amendment of the NDLEA Act, which is expected to significantly strengthen the agency’s institutional capacity in drug supply reduction. I am pleased to inform this esteemed assembly that the amended Act has been passed by the National Assembly and is currently awaiting presidential assent.”
While charging all stakeholders to redouble their efforts, the NDLEA boss said: “I urge us all to renew our energy and resolve to deliver the impact and value needed to confront Nigeria’s evolving and multifaceted drug challenges.
“Let us bring our voices, passion, and optimism to bear in our deliberations. May we remain open and forthright in pursuit of our shared goal: the enhancement of health and security for all residents of Nigeria, in line with the aspirations of the NDCMP 2021-2025.”
Assessing major programmes implemented across the strategic pillars of the NDCMP in 2023 and 2024, Marwa said: “I can confirm that we have collectively made commendable progress on the fourth National Action Plan compared to previous iterations.
“Under the supply reduction pillar, our operational efforts and strategic offensives led to the arrest of 31,334 drug offenders, of whom 6,839 were convicted. We also recorded the seizure of 4,333,636.9 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and undertook the destruction of 426.46724 hectares of cannabis farms.
“Under the drug demand reduction strategic pillar, we provided counselling and rehabilitation services to 19,033 individuals.
“By accelerating our WADA sensitisation activities across states, local government areas, wards, and communities, we have been able to intentionally disseminate awareness of the dangers of drug abuse to diverse population groups.
“This has, in turn, fostered a sense of shared ownership and collective commitment in the national effort to curb substance abuse, trafficking, and proliferation across the country.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC), Country Representative Cheikh Ousmane Toure, represented by Dr Akani Ibanga, said Nigeria stands at the crossroads of public health and security sectors regarding the drug response, adding that “the urgency of the mission we have today cannot be overstated.
“Drug use, as we know, is associated with various issues, from health to safety, productivity and cohesion, and indeed, how we respond at community level.
“As we gather, we must be guided by data, and I am glad the chairman has detailed the responses that have taken place across different sectors, both in terms of supply reduction, demand reduction, and access to medications.
“And I think that where we have a country where at least three million people are said to be suffering from drug use disorder, when we did this calculation and there are 39.5 million globally, that means we’re contributing 7.5% to that data as a country.
That is worrisome, and it calls for us to continue in this final leg of implementing the NDCMP to ensure that we are able to follow through with all the commitments the drug control master plan has laid out for us to do, so that we may address the issues we face,” Ibanga said.
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