Akinkunle Ogunsiji
The Zonal Coordinator, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Zone I, comprising Oyo and Osun States, Joyce Titus-Awogbuyi, has raised alarm over the increasing rate of drug abuse among minors in the country.
She said this on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the Tribune House in Ibadan alongside other NDLEA officials.
According to her, the age of drug initiation has drastically reduced, with children as young as four, five and six years old experimenting with dangerous substances like refnol, Colorado, and tramadol, adding that the trend had made arrest and prosecution of drug offenders almost impossible.
Other NDLEA officials present in the visit include, Assistant Zonal Commander Omolara Adesina and Deputy Commander General of Narcotics (DCGN),
Titus-Awogbuyi noted that the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown had worsened the situation, leading to a surge in drug use among young people. Titus-Awogbuyi cited a recent kidnap case where the abductors demanded tramadol as ransom and highlighted the nexus between drug abuse and crime. She emphasized that if drugs were eliminated from society, crime rates would plummet by at least 80%.
The NDLEA chief appealed to the media to join forces with them in sensitizing Nigerians about the dangers of drug abuse, stressing that the agency’s efforts alone were not yielding the desired results. By collaborating with the media, they hope to reach a wider audience and stem the tide of drug abuse, especially among vulnerable minors.
In response, the Editor, Nigerian Tribune, Mr Debo Abdullahi, who received the NDLEA team assured them of Tribune’s continued collaboration.
He said ANNPCL has always been at the forefront of the campaign to curb substance abuse and illicit drug use in Nigeria and assured of the company’s continued assistance to the NDLEA in its quest to bring drug abuse under control and eradicated.
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