Nigerian Military and Owning the Anti-Drug Trafficking War
By Abdulsalam Mahmud
Just like its abuse, drug trafficking is already endemic in Nigeria. As cocaine consumption in Europe booms, Nigeria is becoming one of the main transit routes for the drug in the Gulf of Guinea, growing partnerships with South and Central American drug trafficking syndicates.
According to a National Drug Survey conducted in 2019, cannabis is the most commonly abused substance by an estimated 10.6 million Nigerians, some of whom started smoking as early as 19 years of age.
This is just as the ‘Global Drug Survey 2019′ also cited cannabis as the most abused substance worldwide, with West Africa having the highest abuse prevalence. The World Health Organisation (WHO), on substance abuse, also stated unequivocally that cannabis is the most widely-used illicit substance in Africa, with the highest prevalence, between 5.2 per cent and 13.5 per cent, found in West Africa.
“It is safe to surmise that Nigeria has an epidemic of drug use and abuse. Also, from the findings of the National Drug Use and Health Survey 2018, the survey recorded an estimated 376,000 high-risk drug users in the country, of which one in every five injects drugs.
“And with a total of 80,000 People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), the risk of the spread of HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases was high and this in turn raises the stake of a public health crisis,” part of an editorial on drug abuse published by Leadership newspaper reads.
In 2020, then National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), attributed the rise in insecurity in the country to the sale and consumption of hard drugs. He also admitted that the use of hard drugs has assumed a dangerous and worrisome dimension.
Drug trafficking, says the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, is powered by organised crime gangs that also engage in other serious crimes such as arms trafficking, modern slavery, financing terrorism, and money-laundering.
A research revealed that one in five persons abusing drugs in the country suffered from drug-related disorders, including mental illness; while it influences criminal activities such as theft, armed robbery, cult violence, prostitution, and rape. Terrorists, bandits, mass kidnappers and murderers rampaging across the country are heavy users, according to the research.
It is widely-believed that Nigeria’s weak institutions and ingrained corruption fuel the problem. Unlike low-level couriers, drug barons and cartels in the country often evade arrest and prosecution. There is the need for Nigeria to take urgent measures to prevent the country from becoming a ‘narco-state,’ like Mexico and Colombia.
In the aforementioned states, drug cartels wield enormous political influence, corrupt the law enforcement and judicial system, and rival the state in the possession and application of the instruments of violence. Back home here in Nigeria, the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, under its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has reinvigorated its war against drug trafficking and abuse.
Sequel to that, the Nigerian military under the leadership of General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), has pledged its collaboration with the NDLEA to empower the anti-drugs trafficking and abuse crusade. This partnership is one that will curtail the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
During a recent courtesy visit to Gen. Marwa, at NDLEA’s National Headquarters in Abuja, Gen. Musa commended Marwa and his management team for the great turn around on the drug war, which has positively changed the negative perception about Nigeria in the international community.
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He assured of the continued support of the armed forces to NDLEA, in its renewed fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking. He said NDLEA’s efforts have motivated the military to introduce drug test as a requirement for training and promotion in the armed forces. Musa said the nexus between drug abuse and insecurity cannot be over-emphasized.
He added that if the nation is able to curb the scourge of substance abuse, the current security challenges would have been drastically reduced. The CDS stressed that the drug abuse and trafficking menace must be tackled holistically, while promising to consider the suggestion by the NDLEA boss for the military to have its own central rehabilitation centre.
In his words, “We know the challenges of drugs and how the use of illicit drugs has affected Nigeria’s name. And when Nigeria is mentioned abroad, everybody thinks about drugs, but you and your team have turned that around, at least now, people have seen that sense of sincerity in addressing the drug issue in Nigeria. We know it is not easy, because a lot of people have benefited so much from it and they will do anything to sustain their illicit businesses.
“I want to assure you that the members of Nigerian Armed Forces are fully behind you. We are proud of you and what you have been achieving and we will continue to support you until the menace of drugs is totally eliminated in the country. We know the influence of drug use and what it has done to us, creating a lot of issues all over the country, which is very alarming.
“Drug use has slipped into so many places, and for members of the Armed Forces; we’re not excluded. Now, we have introduced, as part of our recruitment processes and for our people to go for courses, they must take a drug test, because this will ensure that personnel of the Armed Forces are doing the right thing and are in the right frame of mind. So, we’ll continue to do that and continue to intensify our efforts.
“We have seen the number of arrests being made and how the world over now has seen that Nigeria is taking positive measures to address this drug issue, this I think is highly commendable. Theatre Commanders in the North East have seen the effect of drugs. Ideally, some people that will not even be able to carry a knife, when they take drugs, they carry a GPMG. So, this tells you what drugs do, it gives you a lot of fake confidence and with usage over time they become addicted and when they become addicted it becomes dangerous to them and they become a danger to everyone close to them.”
In his remarks, Marwa commended the Nigerian armed forces for their loyalty, sacrifices and hard work to keep the country safe. He also thanked the military for supporting NDLEA in terms of logistics and training. While emphasizing the significance of the partnership between the military and the NDLEA, Marwa said substance abuse is at the root of crimes and criminalities across the country.
“The criminal elements rely on drugs to carry out their criminalities and that is why we have been very ferocious in our offensive action against them to cut access and availability of these illicit drugs. As a result, in about three years we have arrested 42,105 drug offenders, including 46 barons; seized 7,500 tons of drugs; 1,057 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed and 8,350 offenders convicted while 29,400 drug users have been counselled and rehabilitated within the same period,” he added.
The NDLEA Chairman, therefore urged the armed forces to consider constructing a central rehabilitation centre and creating rehab facilities in existing military hospitals to attend to the treatment of their personnel that may have issues of substance abuse. Assiduous steps must be taken by the military and the NDLEA authorities to fruition their inter-agency collaboration, geared towards achieving a shared vision.
The menace of abusing hard drugs and illicit substances, together with their trafficking must not be allowed to continue thriving. They have almost ravaged the mental state of many youths. They are aggravating security threats in Nigeria. The consequences will be far too devastating, if we fail to proffer a lasting solution.
Like our armed forces, now is the time for all and sundry to also take ownership of this battle. It is the sacrifice we have to collectively make to rid Nigeria of illicit drugs’ trafficking and abuse.
Mahmud is the Deputy Editor of PRNigeria, and wrote in via: [email protected].
