The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara State Command, has raised the alarm that motor parks in Lagos, Oyo, Abuja, and other metropolitan cities in the country have been turned into points for drug shipments.
Speaking in Ilorin at the MTN Anti Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) stakeholder conference themed “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses,” the Kwara State NDLEA Commander, Commander Fatima Abiola Popoola, urged more corporate bodies like the MTN Foundation to join the drug war to tackle the challenge.
According to her, illicit drug dealers in Kwara often get their supplies from Lagos, Oyo, Abuja, and other sources through commercial bus operators.
She explained that fighting the channel is often difficult because some of the drivers, believed to be financially induced, always avoid checkpoints.
Popoola, however, added that aside from commercial bus drivers, “some peddlers also use tinted SUV vehicles to convey the banned substances.”
She pleaded with corporate organisations to emulate the MTN Foundation in fighting drug abuse among youths.
She noted that the one per cent post-tax deduction annually used by MTN has gone a long way in strengthening its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), lamenting that the topical menace has eaten deeply into the fabric of society.
“It is a known fact that most crimes committed by youths have underlying drug abuse.
“We are calling on parents and community leaders to please take due care of their young ones,” she said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Social Development, Hajia Nnafatimah Imam, described the MTN Foundation advocacy conference as laudable and a positive move towards ensuring a drug-free society.
Meanwhile, other speakers, including MTN Foundation officials, agreed on the need for more advocacy efforts in Nigeria to encourage youths to shun illicit substances that can hinder the realisation of their potential.
