ABUJA (CHATNEWSTV) — The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), says the agency’s call for mandatory drug integrity tests for youth corps members and intending couples is a preventive measure aimed at combating rising substance abuse among young Nigerians.
Marwa made the statement on Wednesday, April 23, during a courtesy visit by the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja.
“This is not a punitive initiative,” Marwa said. “It is designed to discourage drug abuse, detect early usage, and provide timely treatment before it escalates into addiction or psychiatric problems. One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 uses drugs. This is a crisis we must confront together.”
The NDLEA chief called for NYSC’s full embrace of the drug integrity test as part of a broader collaboration between both agencies. He noted that corps members, due to their national spread and influence, are strategic in the fight against drug demand.
“You have introduced War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) clubs in orientation camps — that is commendable,” he said. “But we can take it further. We propose that corps members, especially those studying Psychology, Nursing, Psychiatry, and Guidance and Counselling, be posted to our Counselling and Treatment Centres as part of their primary assignment.”
In response, the NYSC Director General described the NDLEA’s drug integrity initiative as “fantastic,” assuring that the scheme would review the proposal with a view to implementing it.
“We’ll develop a guideline that enables us to post qualified corps members to NDLEA Commands across the country,” Nafiu said, praising Marwa for the agency’s progress in tackling drug trafficking and abuse.
The visit, which was also attended by senior officials from both agencies, aimed at strengthening the existing partnership and exploring new areas of collaboration in the national campaign against drug abuse.
NDLEA has intensified its efforts in both drug supply suppression and demand reduction, rolling out several community-level campaigns, treatment centers, and educational programmes in recent years.
By Gabriel Ani
