Delta State: Oborevwori And Marwa Fight Against Drug Abuse
Delta State: Oborevwori And Marwa Fight Against Drug Abuse
The abuse of hard drugs and other Illegal substances and its association with crime, especially of the violent genre, has resulted in a considerable rise in the number of youths imprisoned in recent years.
This figure, cascaded down to Delta State, indicates that the hard drug abuse prevalence rate among those of 15 and 64 years is 18%, with over half a million (500,000) of the population involved.
Troubled by this statistics, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Thursday, raised the alarm on the growing incidence of hard drug abuse in the country, saying it had become a global public health crisis that needed to be tackled head on and called on all stakeholders to work toward its prompt and effective eradication.
Oborevwori commended the NDLEA and other stakeholders for the fight against hard drug abuse but urged that the momentum must be sustained if the nation was to win the war against the growing illicit hard drugs business.
He assured the NDLEA of the State Government’s unwavering commitment and support in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drugs business.
The governor said: “I am very touched that you took time to come to Delta State over the incident that happened and also used the opportunity to meet your people here.
“Delta State is happy to receive you and we know that under your leadership, the NDLEA has recorded outstanding successes; busting drug cartels in the country. I commend you and your personnel for your resolve to rid the nation of illicit drugs, no matter who is involved.
Marwa said hard drug scourge in Nigeria had become very high with over 15m drug users within the age bracket of 15 and 64 years, according to the relevant agency of the United Nations survey and called for the support and cooperation of the State Government in the fight against the scourge.
According to him, the agency, in two years, had destroyed nearly over 1,000 hectares of land devoted to the cultivation of illicit drugs, seized over 6,000 tonnes and arrested over 36,000 suspects and persons of interest, while over 6,000 were convicted and jailed.
He traced the rampant kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, insurgency, rape, murder and other vices across the country to hard drug abuse by perpetrators.
The highpoint of the visit was the decoration of Oborevwori as an Ambassador in the fight against drug and substance abuse.
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