Newly appointed Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Gen Buba Marwa has outlined plans to conduct drug tests for university students, corp members government appointees and trash recruits of security agencies.
Marwa, in a meeting with the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory commanders in Abuja on Monday, said the agency will go on the offensive against drug peddlers and bad guys.
“NDLEA is ready to help and we must help. The success we make of this particular task goes a long way to determine the socio-economic stability of the nation.
“We need not be told of the nexus between drug use, crime and criminalities.
“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, ” he said.
Marwa said his actions will be guided by the National Drug Control Masterplan (NDCMP) and announced that a new toll free number will soon be launched for citizens who want to volunteer information or seek the agency’s help.
“Ours is a national assignment. Drug has littered everywhere; every community. We will lead the fight and we will succeed. Make no mistake about it, it is a collective effort.
“We will equally devote a lot of efforts to prevention, treatment and after care and focus on family and parenting, community, school systems, advocacy to all groups.
“This will be through traditional institutions, religious bodies, media, NGOs, CSOs, State and local governments among others. We will rehabilitate our rehab centres, make them functional while more will be built.
“And I need results from now on. Our maxim will be offensive action. This means we must go all out constantly on the offensive against the bad guys, ” he added.
