The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), has clarified that the agency’s proposed drug integrity tests for youth corps members, prospective couples, and others are not meant to punish but to help prevent drug abuse and offer early treatment.
Speaking during a meeting with the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, Marwa emphasized the importance of early detection to stop drug use from escalating into addiction or mental health issues.
“One in seven Nigerians between ages 15 and 64 uses drugs,” Marwa noted. “We need to reduce both the supply and demand, and part of our strategy is preventive testing.”
He praised NYSC’s introduction of anti-drug abuse clubs in orientation camps and proposed that corps members studying psychology, counselling, nursing, or psychiatry be posted to NDLEA centres to gain hands-on experience in rehabilitation and mental health services.
In response, the NYSC DG described the proposal as promising and expressed willingness to explore ways the scheme could support NDLEA’s initiatives.
better