About 2 million people in Kano are taking drugs – Buba Marwa

Story from Saleh INUWA, Kano

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), General Buba Marwa (retd) has revealed in Kano that out of 100 per cent of the population in Kano, six per cent are taking drugs, with most of them as drug addicts.

General Marwa told the Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during a courtesy visit, that his agency is worried over the high rate of drug consumption in the state.

According to available statistics, in 100 per cent of the population of the people of the state, six per cent are into drugs, meaning that about two million people in Kano are said to be taking drugs like tramadol, Indian hemp, codeine and other dangerous drugs.

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He explained to the Governor that this year alone, about 8,000 people involved in the consumption and trafficking of drugs were arrested in Kano. He called on Governor Ganduje to take drastic measures in Kano to reduce the cases of drug consumption in the state with most of those involved being youths and even young women.

Similarly, he noted that he was in Kano to meet several NGOs, community leaders, security agencies, and members of Kannywood to brainstorm over how to arrest the rising cases of drug consumption in Kano which is the commercial nerve centre of the North. He said if Kano is not rescued from drug-related issues, then definitely it will spread to other states in the North that go to Kano almost on daily basis for businesses.

Adding that his agency has also been receiving cases of drug consumption among actors and actresses in Kannywood, as such, he is going to meet with them in a town hall and tell them in clear terms the disadvantages of taking drugs. Taking drugs is not a pleasure and it should not be encouraged, his men will not spare whoever is caught taking or dealing in drugs as the law of the country is very clear on those arrested because of such offence.

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was not comfortable with the figure given out by General Marwa, because there was no vital or documented statistics carried out by the agency to show that Kano has 2 million people engaged in drugs. He said his government will swiftly move into action to verify these claims, and if it is true, then a punitive measure must be put in place to deal with those in the exercise or who want to engage in the exercise.

Neptune Prime’s correspondent, Saleh Inuwa spoke to some indigenes of Kano and some of them told him that they taught the NDLEA Chairman will also talk about those taking alcohol, but if it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the agency, Marwa should not give Kano the image of a drug consuming state. The figure is very alarming and they will contact some NGOs in the state to as a matter of urgency, do comprehensive censors within the state to verify General Marwa’s claim.

Marwa was recently appointed the Executive Chairman of NDLEA to replace Retired Colonel Abba former ADC to Late General Sani Abacha.