The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has posited that Nigeria has approximately 14.3 million hard drug users.
Zonal Commander, Zone ‘F’ (Kaduna) of the NDLEA, Sule Momodu revealed this information during a dialogue in Kaduna State with pharmacists, military, and paramilitary officers.
He noted that the rising number of drug users is a major contributor to banditry and other crimes, linking drug usage to the prevalence of abductions and kidnappings in the country.
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Momodu however emphasized the importance of addressing drug-related issues in achieving Nigeria’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and broader developmental objectives.
“There are 14.3 million drug users in Nigeria. the prevalence rate in Kaduna State alone is 10 per cent, ranking fourth in the North-Western states of the country. The North West alone has about 3 million drug users,” the Commander noted.
He recounted that when he was the NDLEA Commander in Katsina, the State Governor advised him that once bandits used tramadol, nothing could stop them from carrying out their lethal operations.
