The Senate has expressed its concern over the increased engagement of Nigerians in the smuggling of hard Drugs into some Southeast Asian Countries and other parts of the world. In a motion titled ‘‘Nigerians Involvement in illicit Global Drug Trade and Increase in Domestic Drug Abuse by Nigerian Youth’’ on Tuesday, 1st March, 2016. Senator Gbenga Ashafa [APC:Lagos] stated that Malaysian authorities have issued a statement apportioning the nationality of 40 percent of the foreigners being arrested for drug offences to Nigeria. Furthermore 30 out of 80 foreign students arrested in 2015 were Nigerians. Sen. Ashafa was further horrified that despite the execution of 4 Nigerians in Indonesia despite a plea for leniency by Nigeria and prominent international organizations like the United Nations and Amnesty International, there continued to be a rising number of Nigerians trafficking drugs with Nigeria topping the list of drug couriers into Europe in 2011 and 2012.
Contributing to the motion, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu [PDP:Imo] described the motion as ‘‘apt’’ considering the country’s present economic predicament and the naivety of young Nigerians as willing tools for criminal syndicates which affects the country’s image. Sen. Oluremi Tinubu [APC: Lagos] also stressed the importance of having rehabilitation centres to give drug abusers and addicts an opportunity to break the habit.
Corroborating Sen. Tinubu’s view, Sen. Ovie Omoagege [Labour Party:Delta] noted there were 20 rehabilitation Centres in Lagos state being managed by NGOs and Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and encouraged the establishment of more centres in other states like Port-Harcourt, Warri, Kano and Abuja.
The Senate President, Bukola Saraki also expressed worry over the use and abuse of drugs after which the Senate resolved to:
v Urge the Executive to restructure and reposition the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to meet challenges of evasive drug traffickers using Nigerians to traffic drugs.
v Urge the Nigerian Police, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN) and other regulatory agencies to develop a collaborative approach towards curbing the incidence of drug use and abuse within the country.
