Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen Buba Marwa, has said that 15 million Nigerians indulge in the consumption of illicit drugs.
Marwa made the disclosure in an interactive session with local government chairmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital, yesterday.
He decried the surge in the distribution and consumption of illicit substances, adding that one out of seven Nigerians indulged in drug abuse.
He described the trend as “shameful”, saying that the agency had put modalities on ground to curb the menace.
The chairman said that the surge in drug abuse had destroyed many youths and communities, hence, the rationale for the interactive session.
Chairman of Jos North Local Government, Mr Shehu Usman, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, thanked Gen. Marwa for organising the interactive session.
He maintained that such a move would go further to create awareness on the dangers of drug abuse and other vices. He promised that the chairmen would collaborate and support the NDLEA, to curb all forms of drug abuse in the society.