The training was intensive as well as engaging. Many questions were asked on why the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, should limit measure against drug abuse to the youth. Questions were asked as to why measures against the control of drug abuse are channeled only towards youth based institutions such as university and secondary schools! What happens to government/adult institutions and work places such as the National Assembly and states houses of assembly? As drug test clearance becomes a prerequisite for admission into some universities, why not so with our political office holders into political office beginning with the office of a councilor? These and more were some of the unanswered puzzles during the just concluded NDLEA training in my church.
As the burden of drug abuse is becoming a great concern in Nigeria with it various manifestations, the minute by minute effort of government beginning with the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance of 1935 enacted by the British Council administration to The Indian Hemp Decree No 19 of 1966 and many other such laws up to the current National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to combat this menace in the society has been a commendable journey. But like every other journey where destination is the only respite, how far reaching are their various approaches to ending this menace? Is the agency using the right approach to address drug issues?
A 2019 world drug report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that 271 million, amounting to 5.5% of the global population between the age of 15 and 64 years had used drugs in the previous year. Also, another study by the Global Burden of Disease estimated that 585,000 deaths due to drug use were recorded globally in 2017. In Nigeria however, the unabated rise in the abuse of drug has been a great concern to many homes and government. According to the 2018 UNODC report on drug use in Nigeria, one in seven persons between the age of 15 and 64 years had used a drug in the past years and one in five individuals who had used drug in the past five years, is suffering from drug related disorder. In general, drug abuse has contributed to many vices in Nigeria such as stealing, rape, theft, prostitution, wrong government policies and many more.
Going by the above research, doing drug does not exclude anybody or any age bracket, at least up to age 64. So, the fight against it should be holistic without leaving anyone or any age bracket behind. It is therefore suffice to state here that the fight against drug abuse has not yielded the expected result in Nigeria because it has been limited to young people alone with focus on the university, secondary school and other youth based organizations with no form of measure against adult population in government institutions such as the civil service and other political and government institutions. Not so long ago, the Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Kwara State, Hajia Fatima Abiola-Popoola proposed a mandatory drug test for new university students with the Nigerian University Commission with the aim of preventing Nigerian institution from admitting drug addict and to limit the rate of drug abuse in our institutions and among young people.
While Popoola’s proposal which involves making drug test a major requirement during screening process in our universities is a laudable initiative, it is plausible that University of Abuja has commenced the implementation of using “drug test certificate for admission.” The then Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Abdul-Rasheed Na’allah first made this known in 2023 at the 27th Pre-Convocation briefing that the institution is working with NDLEA to assist and rehabilitate students with the issue of drug abuse. Seeing this as a welcome development particularly when Na’allah explained that this exercise is not meant to send students away from school but to rather ensure students are free from drug, it will be proper however if the society as a whole is free from drug than students alone. So, beyond the university, NDLEA should extend this policy to work places and adult population such as the civil service and political arena.
Sequel to the above that between age 15 and 64 are involved in drug abuse and the history of the arrest of drug traffickers in the country, the voyage of drug into the society can be traced to the rich in the society. According to the agency Chairman, Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), within three years, NDLEA has made 52,901 arrests of drug traffickers and secured 9,000 convictions. Among the 52,901 arrests are 48 barons that include a 59-year-old international drug lord called Ogbonnaya Jeff who was arrested on February 12th 2025 according to Punch Newspaper report of 3rd March. The Nation Newspaper of 5th January also reported the arrest of a 61-year-old Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye on 1st January, 2025 in Okota Lagos while the arrest of a 57-year-old Sulaiman Jimoh was made on 22nd July 2024 according to Premium Times report of July 24 in Mushin, Lagos and many others.
From the above with other statistics, it is obvious that the importation and supply of drugs are mostly done by adults. It means that if there is no supply of drug by adult, there won’t be any drug for youth to use. This simply means that if NDLEA can give priority attention to eliminating supply both at local level and at the level of importation, there won’t be anything to demand. This simply suggests that the satellite of NDLEA should first be beamed towards stopping the supply of drugs into the country.
Another vital point to consider was the revelation by Senator Kawu Sumaila of Kano State in a Premium Times report of October 15, 2024 that most politicians encourage the use of drug in their constituency offices. “As I am speaking now, most of our offices in our constituencies, most of our political offices in our constituencies, most of our houses, when you go there, you will find out that there is a mountain of drugs and there are drug dealers in our offices and in our houses.” In addition, he stated categorically in the same report that he knows some senior politicians who support drug dealers in the illegal business. “I can take you to some of the political leaders who are in so many ways contributing to supporting drug abusers in Nigeria. Therefore, Mr President, we need to be serious.”
Dwelling further on the matter, Sumaila dared his colleague during plenary to swear with the Bible and Qur’an if they don’t encourage drug abuse during campaign when they enjoy the support of thugs and largely unemployed young Nigerians. Son, in order to completely overcome the menace of drug abuse, we must first be sincere with ourselves like this senator and be ready to do the needful. It is our sincerity that will give us the grace to ask the right question. A good response to the suggestion of Sumaila that some lawmakers may actually be using hard drug is seen in their actions and inactions, policies and other such decisions that bear direct and indirect impacts on Nigerians. Who knows if most of these obnoxious policies are effect of drugs!
Without mincing words, this is a good place for NDLEA to start addressing this situation but you know, like the popular saying, “law is like a spider’s web” in Nigeria which catches the poor but destroyed by the rich. The adult population is a sacred population that cannot be touched. Only the young population and the poor can be manipulated. Otherwise, why won’t NDLEA think of partnering with all the relevant institutions of government to stop the source of this menace rather than dealing with the effect?
Now to the meat of the matter, in line with Sumaila’s submission in the report that: “we need to create a situation where before contesting elections, or before taking a debate at whatever level in government, you must go for a drug test”, this I agree must constitute a vital requirement before election. Therefore, I am directly proposing to NDLEA to partner with INEC in order to make drug test an additional requirement for election beginning from councillorship to presidential elections. Adding to the partnership with the National University Commission, NDLEA should also partner with Civil Service Commission so that all civil servants can be tested and other agencies of government in order to make Nigeria society a drug free society. Limiting its check with the youth population will not completely eradicate it.
Additionally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should also make drug test a compulsory requirement for candidate who wish to contest for election at any level beginning from the office of a counselor to the office of the president a stated above. It should be part of the requirements for screening to all political appointees and before anybody is given a job at any level of government, drug test should be presented and failure to do this should lead to disqualification.
Our government at every level should stop hypocrisy and be sincere with governance. The effect of drug abuse among government officials and politicians is more severe against the Nigeria society than among the youth. The effect of drug on the youths may affect them and their families but the effects of drug use among government officials affect the whole society because we see this on daily basis in their obnoxious policies. For instance as we speak, Nigerian government is not useful to many Nigerians. This is because we do virtually everything for ourselves with no input from government thereby making Nigerians only a money making machine for government.
Look at electricity; the thieving spirit in government gives band A minimum of 20 hours electricity per day with highest tariff so it can burn like the speed of light and you keep buying. This means constant power supply is possible if government really wants to do it because what is the magic or differences between Band A B C D E other than more money? Look at the oil sector; if not the intervention of Dangote refinery, with the removal of fuel subsidy, NNPC would have been selling fuel ₦1500 by now. DSTV, GOTV and the rest increase their tariff on daily basis without any form of check, housing is a no go area, common man cannot afford food anymore and we pretend as if everything is normal.
NDLEA should therefore come out of the pretence of addressing drug use among young people alone while the root remained unaddressed. The root cause or the source of drug into the country should be addressed. In fact, as it is said that devil finds work for an idle hand, the major cause of drug abuse among youth which we discussed at the training is poverty. Since poverty has a cure, it means drug use among the youth can easily be addressed if government is sincere. Empowerment programmes can be organized that will target the community of drug users (which government knows) because many of them were lured into it by societal frustration caused by government. If this issue of poverty which the moneybags are using to lure innocent youth into it can be addressed, it will also bear positive impact on the eradication of drug misused.
Dear NDLEA, as higher percentage of Nigeria’s problem are from government insincerity over policy making and implementation, so does drug proliferation into the country the genesis of drug use among young Nigerians. Controlling it therefore should start from the top. When you address the source, its tributaries will definitely dry off because of lack of source. This article therefore charges your corporation to partner with INEC and make drug test certificate a prerequisite for election into political office. You should also partner with Civil Service Commission so all civil servants would be tested too and other government agencies in order to ensure government officers are drug free during policy formulation. Like the free flow of water from the head to other parts of the body, be rest assured that when you stop it at the top, it will naturally manifest among the youths.
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