The Efforts of Enugu State Government on Drug Management

Drug abuse is a serious issue and is fast becoming a menace in many countries who are very concerned especially because of the statistics of young people who are not only exposed to these but use them regularly. Identification of the major causes of this abuse would seem to be a viable solution in handling the matter. Currently, some of the most abused drugs in the country include amphetamine, codeine, tramadol, cough syrup, cocaine, and heroin. And after tons of research, the reasons for the abuse of these drugs included- stress; social, economic, and family pressures, a desire to feel good and to derive pleasure. Among sources of these drugs were fellow drug users, drug peddlers, chemists and pharmacies, and the open market. The most recent statistics given by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) projected that 271 million (5.5%) of the global population aged between 15 to 64 years, had used the drug the previous year. In Nigeria, according to the 2018 UNODC report “Drug Use in Nigeria”- one of the first large-scale, nationwide surveys in the country, reported that one in seven persons aged 15–64 years had used a drug in the past year. This raises a serious concern for the safety of our children and the future of the public at large. A troubling chunk of these numbers revolves around students in secondary school who try these drugs out of curiosity to undergraduates in the tertiary institutions who use these because of peer pressure, to derive pleasure, to stay awake, to fend off restlessness, and to relax. The drug policies and agencies currently in force in Nigeria include the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), the National Agency for Food and Drugs and Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

NDLEA and the efforts of the government:

In 2016, the second year of the new administration, the Enugu State Government pledged to partner with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as one of its efforts to rid the state of illicit drugs. That same year Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuani, at a book presentation by the NDLEA Commander, Mr. Anthony Ohanyere titled, ‘Terrorism and Illicit Drugs in Nigeria-My Perspective” acknowledged that many youths engage in crime due to dependence on illicit drugs and lauded the commander and his team for their efforts in keeping the state safe.

Some residents argue that the major incidences of mental unsound are shown by the number of mad people on the streets as a product of prolonged drug use. There have also been genuine concerns shown by international bodies.

Recall that in the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Yury Fedotov, Director-General of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to the second Ministerial Anti-Drug Conference on the Influence of Drugs on Global Security and Sustainable Development, in Moscow, in 2015, the Director said that “Drug trafficking exploits fragile nations and regions.” He added that he was particularly concerned about methamphetamine production, cocaine consumption and trafficking, and heroin use in West Africa.

And that in both West Africa and the Sahel, criminal groups involved in drug trafficking and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea have joined with terrorists attracted by vast criminal profits.

Similarly, earlier this year Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) charged Commanders of the Agency to brace up or move out, as charging at the drugs war under his leadership will be like a moving train which will crush anyone who stands on its front.

He said: “We need not be told of the nexus between drug use, crime and criminalities as the exponential growth of the nefarious drug activities can be directly linked to the upsurge in crimes such as insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, gangsterism, rape and other maladaptation bedeviling today’s Nigeria”, ringing a familiar tune with the address of the director of the UN of in 2015.

Drugs and Terrorism are intertwined and leave a dastardly mess in its wake on the citizens of any city.

In addition to these the Chairman also hinted at plans to get the government’s approval to carry drug tests on tertiary institutions’ new students, security agencies’ fresh recruits, and all newly appointed government employees in the country which would help to keep drugs off Nigerian streets and homes.

Efforts of the NDLEA

The global prevalence of drug use is 5.6% but in Nigeria, it is 14.4% (14.3 million people). And this is a serious issue with one of the most prevalent causes of abused substances involving codeine and cough syrup with reports showing that on average, 2.5% of women use cough syrup containing codeine, more than men (2.3%) are involved.

And in Nigeria, drug enforcement agencies, like the NDLEA is very active in their efforts to eradicate drug incidences.

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jerome Pasquier, on Thursday, 18th February 2021 paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Gen Buba Marwa (rtd) with an assurance that the French government will partner with the agency in its renewed resolve to tackle drugs menace in Nigeria. During the visit, he was informed of sturdy and swift strides recorded in the fight against drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, within the short time that Marwa had been in charge of the anti-drug outfit and the seriousness with which he handled the issues.

In Enugu, the NDLEA has certainly thrived following the governor’s intention to collaborate with the agency.

Shortly after the executive governor promised to stop the excessive use of drugs in the state in 2016, the agency motivated by the governor, according to Mr. Ohanyere led to the discovery of “a clandestine laboratory in Udi local government area”, where “20kg of Amphetamine was recovered”, which he described as “the most dangerous and expensive illicit drug in the world.”

In May, Enugu state Command of the Agency, equally at the weekend raided the Nsukka axis of the state capital where a 28-year-old lady, Ordo Ndidiamaka was arrested with 80.23grammes of cocaine and 3.81grammes of methamphetamine. This is similar to the NDLEA command action in Plateau where freshly baked cakes or brownies made with cannabis Sativa were recovered in addition to 48.726kilogrammes of assorted psychotropic substances according to Vanguard Nigeria, which apart from these pastries, recovered from the three eateries, psychotropic substances also seized from there included: Barcadin Codeine 14kg; Flunitrazapem 355.5grammes; Tramadol 370.1 grams; Exol-5, 30kg; Diazepam 2.5kg and Pentazocine 1.5 kg, totaling 48.726kg.

A month before, In April, according to the Vanguard Nigeria, operatives of the Niger State Command of the Agency arrested a 24-year-old 400-level student of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Abel Godwin Idio for selling two strong variants of cannabis, Arizona and loud, concealed in textbooks.

The Country’s commander, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) in his reaction, commended the Plateau, Enugu, and Niger Commands of the Agency for disrupting the activities of drug cartels in their respective states. And lauded their efforts at quenching the drug menace.

The drug menace like a prong that has eaten deep into Nigeria’s social scene would have to be uprooted and extinguished.

There’s still a lot to be done and inclusion in the academic curriculum of every academic level in the country will be s nice way to start as well as regular sensitization of the effects of the drug menace in the country.

The Federal Government should make a more conclusive effort to enforce drug education in the state and sensitize people about the consequences some of which are just enticed by the feel-good effect of some of these drugs.

CONCLUSION

Reports recently ranked Nigeria as 5th in the world with the highest suicide rate of an average of six suicides per month. Substance use has been attributed as a major factor that leads people to commit suicide.

Also, the increase in cases of sudden deaths among youths in the country is reportedly connected to opioid overdose, which is the most common drug injected by youths.

This is similar to the effects worldwide where many international agencies try to handle the debilitating effects of drug use.

The influence of social media and the false glorification of drug use by entertainers has led a lot of young people down the nary road of drug and substance addiction.

The need for quailing the boom of abuse which in partnership with the NDLEA and the different states in the country will bring the drug issue to a conclusive halt.