The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has revealed that over 14.3 million Nigerians are victims of drug abuse.
The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this during the inauguration of the agency’s youth initiative, Catch Them Young, held at Government Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.
Citing research findings, Adeyeye stated, “One out of every four high-risk drug users has been arrested for drug-related offences.”
She provided a breakdown of the arrests, noting that 73% were for drug possession, 12% for theft, 5% for sex work, 4% for burglary, and 2% 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 our hands,” she said.
Prof. Adeyeye also highlighted the far-reaching negative effects of drug abuse on families, society, and the nation’s socio-economic development.
To address the situation, she explained that NAFDAC had launched a comprehensive, coordinated, and intensive programme aimed at reducing drug abuse among secondary school students.
