By Aluta News
June 24, 2022
The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, (rtd.), has called on religious leaders and communities to heighten the fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the country.
Marwa made the call during a special Juma’at service as part of the activities to mark the 2022 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at the National Mosque on Friday, in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day (WDD) is marked on June 26, every year.
It is marked to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
The NDLEA boss said there was need for religious leaders to include in all their sermons and prayers for youths and families to stay away from illicit drugs.
He also said the agency had made significant progress in the last fifteen to sixteen months in ensuring illicit drug trafficking was curtailed.
He added that the agency had cleaned the streets of nearly 4 million kilograms of illicit substances during the period.
According to him, “you can imagine if that has gone into the streets, the damage it would have done or the amount of money from this illicit business that would have gone into the streets, so we are grateful to God.
“We call on our religious leaders to increase the advocacy in all the communities in Nigeria.
“It must be in all the sermons constantly; that stay away from drugs, drug is bad for the health, for the families, for the communities and for societies as a whole.”
He said in all human endeavors, Nigerians must always seek the interventions, the blessings and the assistance of God.
“So in this fight and in this scourge of drug abuse across the country, we pray to the Almighty, to help in this fight, against the devilish criminals who are out to kill our youths and our families and destroy our communities.
“We pray to the Almighty Allah for assistance, also towards our youths to desist from this habit and we also take the opportunity to thank the almighty Allah, for the progress made,” he said.
NAN