Nigeria Records 2.5m Drug Related Deaths Annually

No fewer than 2.5 million Nigerians lose their lives annually from issues related to drug abuse, the Officer-In-Charge of Drug, Demand and Reduction of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Ebonyi State Command, Mr. Godwin Erepa has disclosed.

Erepa made the disclosure at the Christian Ecumenical Center in Abakaliki during the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration with the theme, “Count Her In: Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress”.

The NDLEA official said Nigeria also recorded 14.4 million drug addiction annually, regretting that Ebonyi State is among the few states in the country without a single center where drug addicts can be rehabilitated.

He lamented that Crystal Meth, popularly known as Mkpurummiri, which is produced with ten dangerous chemicals remains the most dangerous hard drug globally.

He highlighted such composition to include petrol, Sulphuric Acid and fertilizer, among other dangerous chemicals.

Regrettably, the anti-narcotic agency’s officer maintained that it is almost impossible to rehabilitate someone who is already addicted to Mkpurummiri because of its chemical contents.

“Ebonyi State is one of the states in the South East that does not have a single rehabilitation center in the State. The State is expected to have at least 3 rehabilitation centres in each of the 3 Senatorial zones of the State.

“The non-availability of any rehabilitation center in the State makes it impossible for the NDLEA to rehabilitate drug addicts in the State,” Erepa noted.

He appealed to the Ebonyi State Government to ensure the establishment of rehabilitation centers in each in the senatorial zones of the State.

Mr. Erepa also identified peer group influence, lack of moral values from the parents to their children among other factors responsible for drug addiction among users.

He added that some parents actually introduce their children to hard drug selling and subsequently, drug abuse.

In his address, the Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru announced an empowerment programme of N130million to 130 women drawn from the 13 local government area of the State.

Governor Nwifuru also attributed the high level of insecurity being witnessed across the country to lack of moral values in different homes and blamed parents for their inability to take control of their homes.

He further commended the organisers of the event for the training given to the women on areas of security, tolerance and others, adding that such will help in building strong family units.