TheCable

Buba Marwa, chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says the agency has destroyed 18 laboratories used in the production of methamphetamine, and thousands of hectares of cannabis farms across the country.

Speaking virtually at a side event at the ongoing session of the Commission of Narcotic Drugs (CND) holding in Vienna, Austria, the NDLEA chairman expressed concern about the rate of trafficking in illicit drugs.

In a statement by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, on Friday, Marwa said the bigger concern now is about the categories of illicit substances abused and trafficked.

“Now, the problem is much bigger as different categories of drugs are produced, consumed and trafficked in the country. Drugs trafficked include cannabis, cocaine, heroin and psychotropic substances, including methamphetamine and tramadol,” the statement reads.

“Cannabis is cultivated in different parts of the country and there is evidence of methamphetamine producing laboratories. NDLEA has destroyed thousands of hectares of cannabis cultivated land as well as 18 methamphetamine manufacturing laboratories.”

Marwa also highlighted the importance of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP), which he said will contribute to addressing drug abuse as it affects Nigeria.

“In developing the NDCMP 2021-2025, effort was made to ensure that the document is aligned and harmonised with the existing international and regional conventions. It also benefitted from lessons learned from earlier phases of NDCMP, and good practices from Nigeria, West Africa and around the world,” the NDLEA chairman stated.

“NDCMP also contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all ages, to strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.”