National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has alerted the public on a viral online drug sale, describing it as a new dimension in drug abuse in the country.
In his keynote entitled ‘Uprise in Drug Abuse, Role of Parents’ at the week-long International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Week celebrations, organised by the Kwara State chapter, in Ilorin, yesterday, NDLEA commander in the state, Ibrahim Mohammed, said the menace is a global phenomenon, common among youths.
He stated: “We call it the darknet where drugs are being sold online without the seller and the buyer knowing each other. All they need is contact and they make the call and the substance is delivered. It is very common here now.
“What we have been doing is to see how to intercept them, especially the waybill coming from neighbouring states through some commercial vehicles. We have intensified our patrol system around the state.”
We are gathering intelligence and making very good use of it. We have intercepted quite a number of them through control delivery.” The anti-drug tsar appreciated Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s proactiveness, as he supported the agency with infrastructure to tackle the menace.
Mohammed, who said that prevalence of drug use, abuse and addiction had led to increase in crime rate, asserted that there is no crime without drug undertone.
He suggested some preventive measures against the menace such as family harmony and bonding, affection and love for family members, proactive and positive parenting. He advised parents not to be judgmental but ensure effective monitoring of their children, among others.
According to the Chairperson of Kwara FIDA, Gloria Okoduwa, phones have taken many children away from their parents, and that family discussion has now been neglected.
She announced plans by FIDA to take a campaign against drug abuse and its effect to major markets and other public places in the state to drive down the message, saying that many parents failed the generation with their poor parenting attitude.
Chairperson of the FIDA Week 2023 Committee, Muinat Adeleye, who is also the zonal legal officer of NDLEA, Zone I, Oyo State, lamented the prevalence of drug abuse in the country.
