The Edo State House of Assembly has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria, saying that illicit drugs are being sold freely in every nook and cranny of the state.
NewsNow reports that the Deputy Speaker of the House, Maria Oligbi-Edeko, made the call when she received members of Smile Africa International Youth Initiative during a rally to mark the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Benin City.
According to her: “Today, we are sad that drugs are destroying communities in the country and everyone is pretending not to see it. Drugs are now being sold freely in every nook and cranny of the state. You now find drugs in biscuits, akara and others. Do they want to turn everyone into drug addicts?”
Oligbi-Edeko (PDP, Esan North-East II) opined that a state of emergency is the only solution to tackling the menace.
She noted that drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking are contributing factors to criminality in the state and the nation at large.
She added that drug traffickers are the worst criminals and should not be tolerated in any community or in states that want to make progress.
“If you have been following the house activities, you would know that the house has passed several resolutions on the need to prevent drug abuse and trafficking.
“So we think that to effectively deal with the situation, the federal government should declare a state of emergency to fight drug abuse in Nigeria,” she said.
The lawmaker said the Edo State House of Assembly would join the group to call on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC and women’s groups to rise to the challenge of ensuring the prevention of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state and the country.
“On behalf of the Speaker, we stand with you and we say no to drug abuse and drug trafficking,” she stated.
Earlier, the Executive Director of Smiles Africa International Youth Development Initiative, Purpose Iserhienrhien, said they were at the assembly to rally support in the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state.
He said that the International Day allows them to call for collective action to combat the scourge of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
“The impact of drugs extends beyond individual users to entire societies, threatening the health, safety, and prosperity of our population, ” he said.
He called on the state government to invest in prevention programmes to address the challenges posed by drug abuse.