Headlines
Why NDLEA’s war against drug cartels is yielding results
Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) has linked the success recorded by the agency in the fight against illicit drugs in the country to ongoing reforms within the agency.
Marwa said the NDLEA has been undergoing a reform process in the which he said has resulted in the arrest of many drug lords and their cartels.
He stated this on Wednesday at the 14th Biennial International Conference on Drugs, Alcohol, and Society in Africa with the theme “Towards the Reform of Drug Law and Policy in Africa: Research, Practice and Advocacy Consideration” organised by the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA) in Abuja.
He said: “Revamping NDLEA became imperative in light of the disturbing findings of the National Drug Use and Health Survey conducted in 2018 which indicated that Nigeria’s drug use prevalence at 14.4% was way above the global threshold of 5.6%.
“In the past 21 months, NDLEA has been undergoing a reform process which has resulted in tectonic changes in the Agency’s administration, structure and operations.
Consequently, NDLEA’s turbo-charged performance in the areas of arrests, prosecutions, convictions and seizures is the result of reforms”.
According to him, the reforms are not limited to NDLEA’s activities but include the laws that established the agency and other legislations that are the basis for the country’s drug control effort.
He added that the reforms, singly and collectively, have given the agency a dynamic drug control framework in which prevention and treatment are now entrenched.
Stressing the need for reforms in drug laws, including policies and their implementations, Marwa recalled that until the past few years, drug law enforcement in Nigeria was tied to dated legislation with the resultant policies and practices he observed, no longer adequate to tackle issues of illicit substances.
He said rather than solve problems, the application of the law, methodologies and practices, were creating new challenges as they fuel criminalisation and did little to stem drug abuse and crimes.
Marwa added: “Change, as the saying goes, is inevitable. The past decades have brought fresh thinking concerning substance abuse. Around the world, there has been a gradual and systematic shift in drug control perspectives leading to an overhaul of old laws and policies which are replaced with new ones that reflect the contemporary understanding of illicit substances from law enforcement, socioeconomic and health standpoints.
“The new National Drug Control Master Plan, NDCMP 2021-2025, for instance, identifies drug use disorder as a public health issue with a strong emphasis on treatment. There has been a cascading effect. Today, we have a 24/7 toll-free Drug Abuse call centre even as the Agency continues to broaden accessibility to treatment with plans underway to build the first of six regional model rehabilitation centres. Along this line, the NDLEA is also working to scale up the capacity of its officers involved in drug demand reduction activities.
“For instance, in 2021, NDLEA adopted a new Standard Policy and Practice Guidelines (SPPG) manual for its counsellors and healthcare providers across the country. The SPPG, developed with the aid of UNODC and sponsored by the European Union, is an all-encompassing document for “people who are managing people who use drugs.”
“A significant reform on the subject matter of the use and abuse of drugs is the new Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) Act 2022, which was passed into law in September. The new law will help to curb the abuse of pharmaceutical drugs and also bring control to activities within the pharmacy profession. Similarly, the law establishing the NDLEA is going through amendment, having been reviewed by all relevant stakeholders who contributed and agreed on vital areas”
While expressing confidence that the amended NDLEA bill would be passed into law by the National Assembly, Marwa said, drug policies in the country were also undergoing reviews.
“Those who have been following drug policy trends in the country can easily discern a gradual shift in our society’s approach to illicit drug issues. We have also embarked on large-scale advocacy as epitomised by the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign launched in 2021”, he added.
Executive director, CRISA, Prof. Isidore Obot observed that there are positioned positive developments in various countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, that show the readiness of policymakers and citizens to embrace progressive drug policies that take into consideration scientific evidence and the human rights of people who use drugs
He said the theme of the conference was chosen to highlight the growing demand for drug policy reform across the world which focuses attention on the availability of and access to evidence-based treatment, early interventions and harm reduction, among others.
“I believe that we have made advances in the state of knowledge about the drug problems in a growing number of countries in Africa. With the high level of concern shown by some governments, and the involvement of ECOWAS and the African Union, we are better position now than we were a few years ago to address more effectively the supply and demand challenges that face policymakers in a growing number of our countries”, Obot stated.
Headlines
NDLEA secures 107 convictions of illicit drugs peddlers in Jigawa
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Jigawa Command, says it secured the conviction of 107 illicit drug peddlers in the state in 2024.
The State Commander of the Agency, Mr Musa Maina, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dutse, on Wednesday.
Maina said that 702 suspects, comprising 25 females and 677 males were arrested within the period under review, while 592,626.52 Kilo grams of substances suspected to be illicit drugs were seized.
He explained that the substances comprises of 466.968 Kilo grams of suspected cannabis sativa, 23.655 Kilo grams of suspected psychotropic substances and 100.185 Kilo grams of other substances of abuse.
He also said that the command within the period under review, counselled 591 drug users, comprising 27 females and 564 males on the negative effects of drug abuse.
He further said that the command successfully rehabilitated 36 drug dependent persons at its rehabilitation centre.
“According to him, we were also able to successfully rehabilitate 36 drug dependent persons at our rehabilitation center, as well as deliver 99 drug preventive education lectures and advocacy talks.
”The lectures and advocacy talks were done through various medium including tertiary institutions, the NYSC, government agencies, drug free club, CSOs, market places, as well as print and electronic media.”
The state commander added that the command had remained steadfast and was committed to reducing the demand for illicit drugs and other substances of abuse in the state.
“The command worked hard with great determination to limit the supply and abuse of hard drugs and other psychoactive substances and we are committed to doing even more to achieve much greater feat.
”While I solicit for greater collaboration from stakeholders to rid the state of substance abuse, I commended traditional and religious institutions, as well as the state government for their support and cooperation to the agency in its fight against drug abuse thus far.
”I also enjoin residents of the state to join hands with us in the fight against the menace of illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Headlines
A’Ibom: Police sensitise stakeholders to accept third party insurance policy
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom has commenced sensitisation campaign to ensure public compliance with the directive on vehicle owners to obtain third party insurance.
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Baba Azare, said in Uyo on Tuesday that the campaign would deepen public understanding and acceptance of the policy.
“The policy is in line with Section 68 of the Insurance Act, and Section 312 of the 1945 Motor Vehicle Third Party Insurance Act.
“It is a lawful thing to do, let us take the message to our people to obtain a third party insurance in order to avoid being caught by the law,” he said.
He said that the police in Akwa Ibom was fully ready to enforce the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The police official said that the third party insurance was a compulsory legal requirement for all vehicle owners to operate their vehicles on public roads.
Azare said that the enforcement which would commence on Feb. 1, would protect road users, and promote compliance with traffic laws.
He said that any vehicle found without valid third-party insurance certificate, would be seized and taken to the nearest police station.
“Such vehicle will only be released upon the presentation of valid insurance documents,” he said.
Azare warned officers that would participate in the enforcement to avoid unprofessional conducts, particularly extortion.
Also speaking, Mr Edward Odiete, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Akwa Ibom, urged vehicle owners to update their vehicle papers, especially third party insurance certificates.
“Third party insurance has been in existence for a long time. It is a necessary document that vehicle owners should have.
“We are going to collaborate with the police to enforce compliance effective Feb 1. Vehicle owners are urged to obtain the document only from genuine insurance companies,” he said.
Headlines
Yobe Govt., centre partner to tackle kidney disease
Yobe Government and the Biomedical Research and Training Centre (BioRTC), Damaturu, will soon embark on a community-based research project to tackle the increasing cases of kidney disease in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Mai Mala Buni on Media and Public Engagement, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba-Saleh, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Damaturu on Tuesday.
Baba-Saleh explained that the study, led by researchers from diverse backgrounds in the centre, was intended to tackle the prevalence of the disease in the state, particularly in communities around Yobe River.
“The research brings together a diverse team of experts, including nephrologists, cardiologists, and environmental specialists, to investigate the genetic, environmental, and lifestyle associations of kidney disease.
“The project has garnered support from international partners in the UK, USA, and Ghana as well as numerous collaborators from within Nigeria,” the governor’s aide said.
He recalled that the governor had, earlier in an interaction with the centre’s visiting scholars, urged them to deepen the research on the causes of the disease in Gashua, which is worse-hit, to enable the government to find a lasting solution to the challenge.
He further stated that the Commissioner of Health, Dr Muhammad Gana, who was at a virtual meeting with the team on Monday, said that the global cooperation the research attracted underscored its significance, and potential for positive outcome.
Baba-Saleh added that BioRTC Director, Dr Mahmood Bukar, who was also at the meeting, announced that field work would commence in Gashua in the first week of February.
He further explained that Bukar, who is also the Special Adviser to Buni on Science, Technology and Innovation, argued that the team would collect samples to gain valuable insights into the causes of kidney disease in the area.
“According to previous studies, kidney disease in Yobe is linked to various factors, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and environmental factors, such as limited access to clean water and sanitation,” Baba-Saleh quoted the director to have said.
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