The Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kwara State, Ibrahim Mohammed, has expressed concern over the rise of online drug sales in Nigeria.
In a keynote address titled “Uprise in Drug Abuse, Role of Parents,” delivered at the FIDA Week 2023 celebrations in Ilorin, Mohammed highlighted online drug sales as a new dimension in the country’s drug abuse problem.
The NDLEA boss said that the menace is a global phenomenon, common among the youths.
“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’s very common here now. What we’ve 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 we are making very good use of it. We have intercepted quite a number of them through control delivery.
“We know as the yuletide period is approaching, a lot of such would be happening. Thank God, the state governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, is being proactive as he has actually supported us with provision of infrastructure to tackle the menace,” he stated.
The NDLEA boss linked the prevalence of drug use, abuse, and addiction to the increasing crime rate in society, suggesting that there is often a drug undertone to criminal activities.
He proposed protective factors against drug abuse, including family harmony, bonding, affection, love for family members, and proactive and positive parenting. He urged parents to effectively monitor their children as a preventive measure.
Gloria Okoduwa, the state chairperson of FIDA, expressed concern about the impact of phones on family relationships, noting that family discussions have been neglected.
She announced FIDA’s plans to launch a campaign against drug abuse and its effects in major markets and public places in the state, aiming to convey the message that many parents have failed the younger generation due to poor parenting attitudes.