Declare state of emergency on drug abuse, Senate tells FG

The Senate has urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency on the abuse of narcotics in Nigeria, especially among the youth.   

It also directed its committees to liaise with relevant government agencies to convoke a national summit to discuss the scourge of drug abuse with a view to proffering solutions. 

The resolutions followed a motion during Tuesday’s plenary by Senator Babangida Hussaini (APC, Jigawa), who noted that according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Union on drug use in Nigeria, about 14.3 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64, are drug abusers. 

He said the report stated that 10.6 million addicts were cannabis users, 4.6 million addicts used pharmaceutical opioids and 238 thousand drug abusers used amphetamines. 

• Tinubu sacks NAHCON CEO, appoints ex-Aso Rock Perm Sec
• Nasarawa: PDP guber candidate tackles Gov. Sule over appeal against tribunal verdict

He expressed worry that a significant number of deaths from accidents and violent crimes had been traced to the activities of persons under the influence of drugs especially the discovery of more dangerous substances called “Kurkura” in the North and “Umkpromiri” in the South. 

Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, in his contribution, said the scourge of drug abuse was so pervasive that even celebrities who were supposed to be role models were also into it.  

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, said drug abuse was so alarming that some youths now inhale offensive odour oozing out of a soakaway to get intoxicated, urging parents to always check their surroundings.