No fewer than one million killer and fake patent medicine stores exist across Nigeria, Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Elimination of Drugs Abuse, General Buba Marwa, said in Yola, yesterday.
Marwa, who disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Governor Muhammadu Bindow of Adamawa State, said the development poses great danger to the lives of over 180 million Nigerians.
“So far, there are over one million unregistered and killer patent medicine stores across Nigeria.
“Also, only about 58,000 of such stores are registered in 36 states and Abuja,” Marwa said.
He expressed worry that the rate of drugs abuse in all parts of Nigeria is on the increase, adding that there is need for holistic joint efforts to eliminate the menace.
Marwa noted that about 15 million adult Nigerians are under the influence of hard drugs and that the Southwest zone topped the record with 22 per cent, followed by the South South with 17 per cent, South East 15 per cent and NorthEast 13.8 per cent.
Others were the Northeast, 13.4 per cent and North Central zone with the least figure of eight per cent.
The former Lagos State military administrator urged state governments in the country to establish permanent and standard rehabilitation centres to take care of the high number of drug addicts requiring help.
He also said the case of out-of-school children must be addressed; to stem the tide of drug usage in the country.
“There are about 13 million out of school children in Nigeria and 10million of them are Almajirai. The Almajiri syndrome must be imrproved upon and unless we face the Almajiris thing and get them to combine both the religious and Western education, the north will continue to be backwards,” he said.
Marwa is from Adamawa State.
In his response, Bindow, represented by the acting governor, Mr. Martins Babale, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for constituting the advisory committee. and advised that a state of emergency be declared on drug abuse in the country.
He noted that the drug abuse situation in Nigeria is alarming and has reached a horrible stage that needs a holistic approach to contain.