- Momodu emphasized that the rising number of drug users is a major contributor to banditry and other crimes
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has asserted that the nation has approximately 14.3 million hard drug users. Zonal Commander, ACGN Sule Momodu of Zone ‘F,’ NDLEA, revealed this information during a dialogue in Kaduna State with pharmacists, military, and paramilitary officers.
Momodu emphasized that the rising number of drug users is a major contributor to banditry and other crimes, linking drug usage to the prevalence of abductions and kidnappings in the country. He underscored the importance of addressing drug-related issues in achieving Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and broader developmental objectives.
According to Daily Trust, the NDLEA boss said, “There are 14.3 million drug users in Nigeria. the prevalence rate in Kaduna State alone is 10 per cent, ranking fourth in the North-Western states of the country. The North West alone has about 3 million drug users.”
He recounted that when he was the NDLEA Commander in Katsina, the state governor advised him that once bandits used tramadol, nothing could stop them from carrying out their lethal operations.
Aliyu Jibrin, a community chemist who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, stated that pharmacists, as professionals, are aware of the regulations and ethics of drug dispensing and would not do anything that could jeopardise Nigeria’s security.
He said the number of pharmacists in Nigeria was limited, saying in the whole of Kaduna they were not up to 400; yet there are thousands of drug stores in the state.
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