Marwa declares Lagos, Oyo epicentres of drug abuse

Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, (retd) has declared Lagos and Oyo states as epicentres of drug abuse in the country.

Marwa, who made the disclosure, yesterday, at a public lecture organised by United Action for Change (UAC), in Lagos, said not less than 14.3 million Nigerians abuse drugs, with the South West zone recording the highest prevalence.

He said: “Nigeria’s drug statistics should give every one of us a sleepless night. Not less than 14.3 million Nigerians between the ages of 16 and 64 years abuse drugs. 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.”

The NDLEA boss said most of the abusers first started at the age of 19, adding that the highest level of usage is concentrated in youth between 25 and 29.

“The highest abuse of drugs is reported in the southern geopolitical zone, with the south-west recording the highest prevalence with over four million Nigerians engaging in the use of various drugs.

“In this regard, the Lagos-Oyo axis is the epicentre of drug abuse in Nigeria,” he stated.

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