Lagos-Oyo epicentre of drug abuse, says Marwa

By Tajudeen Adebanjo and Halimah Balogun

• 14.3 million Nigerians abuse drugs

Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig-Gen Buba Marwa (retd) has said that drug abuse is most prevalent in Lagos and Oyo states.

He said this yesterday at a public lecture organised by United Action for Change (UAC). The event, themed, “Drug Abuse and the Future of Nigeria” was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

Marwa said not less than 14.3 million Nigerians abuse drugs, with the Southwest zone recording the highest prevalence.

Nigeria’s drug statistics, he said, should give everyone sleepless night.

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He said: “Nigeria as a country is number one in the use of cannabis. Not less than 14.3 million Nigerians abuse drugs and they are Nigerians between the ages of 16 and 64 years. Among them, one in four drug users is female. Expectedly, cannabis is the most abused substance by Nigerians. What’s alarming, however, is that a staggering 10.6 million Nigerians abuse the use of cannabis.

“That number makes our country number one in the use of cannabis. Let’s ponder this for a moment; 10.6 million is more than the estimated population of Botswana and Lesotho combined.”