The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye, has revealed that approximately 14.3 million Nigerians are involved in drug abuse. Mrs Adeyeye, a professor, disclosed this during the inaugural ceremony of the agency’s youth-focused initiative, “Catch Them Young,” held on Wednesday at Government Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
She noted that research indicates one in four high-risk drug users in Nigeria has been arrested for drug-related offences. According to her, these arrests comprise 73 per cent for drug possession, 12 per cent for theft, five per cent for sex work, four per cent for burglary, and two per cent for shoplifting. ‘’Note that this data only shows the number of arrests; if we consider that most crimes are unreported, then we will see that we have a huge problem on hands,’’ she said.
Mrs Adeyeye, however, noted the negative effects of drug abuse on families, society, and the nation’s socio-economic development. She explained that the situation caused NAFDAC to initiate a comprehensive, coordinated, and intensive programme, designed to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse among secondary school students. Support journalism driven by facts, created by Nigerians for Nigerians.
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