The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, has said drug abuse is both a symptom and a driver of insecurity in the country.
Marwa stated this on Saturday night in Abuja during the 38th anniversary reunion of the Nigerian Military School (NMS) Class of 1982.
He noted that drug abuse fuels terrorism, insurgency and violent crimes, while also weakening families, wasting talents and eroding moral values.
“Where there are drugs, there is insecurity. Where there are drugs, there is terrorism. Where there are drugs, there is moral collapse,” he said.
The NDLEA boss disclosed that the agency, in the last two years, had intercepted more than 1.8 billion tramadol tablets, 400 million bottles of codeine syrup and 500,000 Captagon pills concealed in machines allegedly bound for insurgents.
Marwa stressed that discipline and character remain the strongest shields against drug abuse and called for collective action from families, schools, faith groups, NGOs and the media.
Also speaking, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, represented by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, said the Armed Forces remained committed to upholding loyalty, service and discipline while safeguarding the dignity of the nation at home and abroad.
He congratulated the NMS 82 Alumni Association for sustaining the bond of brotherhood for nearly four decades, noting that the set had produced two serving Service Chiefs.
On his part, the CNS said he felt proud to be a product of NMS, Zaria, recalling how the school instilled discipline, resilience, loyalty and healthy competition that had shaped the lives of its alumni in military and civilian spheres.