Over 60% of arrested drug offenders are youths — NDLEA chairman

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa, has raised the alarm that over 60 per cent of drug offenders arrested in Nigeria over the past five years are young people.

He also disclosed that the majority of the 48,836 drug users counselled and treated in NDLEA facilities within the same period were youths.

Marwa made this known on Tuesday while delivering a public lecture at the University of Abuja as part of its 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremony.

“Statistics from NDLEA activities further infused dire angles to this drug use dossier and invariably throw up a disturbing portrait of substance abuse among youths. For instance, of the 77,859 drug offenders arrested in the past five years, over 60% of them were young people, both male and female, some of them as young as 15 years old.

“Similarly, the majority of the 48,836 drug users counselled and treated in NDLEA treatment facilities within the same period were overwhelmingly young people,” a statement by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, partly read.

Marwa warned that drug use carries severe consequences that could permanently derail the future of students and young professionals.

“A criminal record for drug offences is a life sentence on your career before it even begins. You cannot practice law, medicine, or engineering with a drug-related conviction,” he said.

The NDLEA chairman expressed concern over the changing dynamics of drug abuse, noting a shift from traditional substances like cannabis to synthetic opioids and designer drugs such as Colorado, Loud and Methamphetamine.

He also highlighted the growing role of social media in drug distribution and the involvement of students in trafficking.

Marwa further described drug abuse as closely linked to cultism and campus violence, warning that it damages mental capacity by eroding memory and critical thinking, while also contributing to cases of psychosis and premature death among youths.

Citing findings from the 2018 National Drug Use and Health Survey, he said many Nigerians are introduced to substance abuse around the age of 19, with increasing cases of experimentation among children below 15 years.

“In summary, the report indicted Nigerian youths, predominantly those between 25 and 39, for substance abuse,” he noted, adding that early exposure continues to worsen the crisis.

Addressing graduating students, Marwa urged them to remain focused and avoid peer pressure, stressing that success in a fast-evolving, technology-driven world requires a clear and sober mind.

“There is no room for a clouded mind in a fast-paced world. Choose your circle. Peer pressure is the primary gateway. If your friends require you to be ‘high’ to belong, you are in the wrong company,” he said.

He also called on stakeholders, including educational institutions and families, to intensify efforts to combat drug abuse, warning that its effects extend beyond individuals to families, institutions, and society.

“Drug abuse does not affect only the user. It ripples outward: families suffer emotional and financial strain; institutions face reputational damage; society bears the burden of lost productivity and increased crime,” he added.

Marwa commended the management of the University of Abuja for collaborating with the NDLEA to strengthen campus surveillance and urged other institutions to prioritise drug education during student orientation and academic programmes.

Drug abuse remains a persistent public health and security concern in Nigeria, particularly among young people, with authorities warning of its growing spread within schools and tertiary institutions