Nigerian Govt Begin Drug Screening For Political Aspirants, Students, Others
The drug test is intended for secondary school students, students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and returning students, workers in government and private offices and individuals seeking political offices as well as prospective couples before taking their marriage vows.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) made this known on Wednesday while speaking on the theme for this year’s World Drug Day.
He noted that the drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and early detection of people’s status of drug use for the purpose of appropriate intervention, including treatment and rehabilitation.
The NDLEA boss said the agency had produced tens of thousands of special test kits capable of detecting 15 different substances, for use in homes, schools, workplaces and others.
According to him, apart from helping in early detection of drug abuse, especially by youths so that they can get the help they need, it will also create some deterrent effect.
The statement reads in part, The ‘Save Our Families’ social advocacy campaign launched at the ceremony by the President, is designed to prevent and tackle drug use through early detection and intervention by making the Agency’s newly produced special drug test kits a necessity in every home, schools and workplaces.
“The Agency has introduced the Drug Integrity Test initiative anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian. The test is intended for secondary school students, students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and returning students, workers in government and private offices and individuals seeking political offices as well as prospective couples before taking their marriage vows.
“The drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and early detection of the individual’s status of drug use for the purpose of appropriate intervention including treatment and rehabilitation.
“Let me also add that our drug integrity test, which has been adopted by some government institutions and tertiary institutions in the country, is a preventive mechanism.
“As a result, we have produced tens of thousands of special test kits capable of detecting 15 different substances, now available in all our commands across the country.
“This is for use in homes, schools, workplaces and others. Apart from helping in early detection of drug abuse especially by our youths so that we can get them help in form of treatment, this will also create some deterrence effects.
He said the agency has also been providing counselling and treatment for people struggling with drug dependence across 30 of its treatment and counselling centres nationwide where 33,453 drug users had been treated in three and a half years.
He said, “NDLEA is equally not relenting in its effort to cut off illicit drug supply channels and dismantle trafficking networks.
“After all, when you cut off drug supplies, you deny users availability and access to them, including insurgents, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and sundry criminals who rely on drugs to foster their criminalities.
“The magnitude of our effort is reflected in the statistics of our drug supply reduction activities. We have arrested 52, 901 drug traffickers, including 48 barons, in three and a half years. Over 9, 000 of the suspects have been convicted in court.”
“We have also seized over the same period 7.6 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances,” the statement added.
