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The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa has urged young people to stay away from illicit drugs and have focus as leaders of tomorrow.

Mr Marwa said this during a thanksgiving service at the National Christian Centre, NCC, in commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking or World Drug Day, WDD, on Sunday in Abuja.

The 2024 WDD is themed, “Evidence is Clear; Invest in Prevention”.

He said that the theme was timely, adding that the NDLEA was doing its best in preventing drug abuse and illicit trafficking across the country.

Mr Marwa, who was represented by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna, said the 2024 WDD main message was prevention.

According to him, youths need to say no to drug abuse. And this is where prevention comes in.

“There is nothing good that comes out of illicit drugs. It destroys you as a person; it destroys your family and your communities.

“Youths need to stop taking illicit drugs, not to yield to peer pressure and not to think that drug is the coolest thing to do.

“This is because if you go into drugs, you ruin your future.

“That is why prevention is the ultimate thing for this year. We should all invest in prevention because if you prevent people from going into drugs, it will help.

“The country is for the youths and they are the leaders of tomorrow. That’s why we want them to shun drugs and have a focus,”he said.

Mr Marwa said that the NDLEA was doing a lot to invest in prevention, adding that the agency believed in carrying everyone along including the Church, communities and families, among others.

He said the agency had always depended on God to lead.

He emphasised that the Church and the Mosque were involved as part of ways to carry the messages of ensuring that people shun drugs.

“If we’re able to invest in intervention, I think we will save so many lives. We know how many lives have been destroyed by drugs,”he said.

Mr Marwa encouraged officers and men who have been on the field, working hard not to be discouraged.

He also encouraged them not to fear anyone saying: “if you’re working for a good cause, nothing will affect you”.

Rev. Mike Agbon, Resident Chaplain, National Christian Centre, NCC, said that religious bodies needed to be able to play a significant role in the area of sensitisation.

Mr Agbon said there was also the need to introduce a spiritual approach to dealing with rehabilitation of drug addicts.

According to him, whether we like it or not, drug addiction in our nation is growing to an epidemic proportion and we need to be holistic in dealing with it.

“The NDLEA is doing a laudable job in dealing with the drugs, cartels and arrests of all the barons.

“The Church needs to rise to the occasion.

“We need to be able to rehabilitate most of the drug addicts and get them back into society.

“I believe that the spiritual approach to it will make a difference because I believe that drug addiction is a spiritual thing,” he said.

The cleric, therefore, urged the NDLEA to take time to look at the need to be able to incorporate the Church, so that there could be synergy, especially in the areas of rehabilitation.

He said that most of the Pastors trained as counselors, could help in the area of guardians and counseling.

“We need to come to that level of synergy and deal with this issue. We must all have our hands on deck.

“We must as much as possible, work together. It’s only that synergy that can solve or put a halt to the alarming proportion or rise in drug addiction in our society, “he said.

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