NDLEA Mandates Drug Test On Nigerian Students

In an effort to fight drug abuse, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) pushed for required drug testing in higher institutions—a move that the University of Abuja supports the mandatory.

The Director of Media and Advocacy for NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, emphasized the importance of behavioural evaluation through drug tests for both new and existing students.

Babafemi expressed the agency’s comprehensive strategy by mentioning changes carried out under Brig-Gen Buba Marwa’s (retd.) direction. Putting drug traffickers on the run, guaranteeing successful prosecutions with an astounding 95% conviction record, and focusing on the assets of criminals to undermine their financial strength are all part of the NDLEA’s operation.

While Babafemi urged the need for collaboration in raising awareness of drug abuse, he also made known the ongoing partnerships with schools, communities, and faith-based organizations, leading to the creation of WADA clubs in institutions.

However, the 2023 reports of criminal actors and the criminal market show in detail how adaptability in the drug market is a means to avoid apprehension through the use of highly sophisticated encrypted technology from law enforcement agencies across Nigeria, especially on a global scale of demand and supply of illicit drugs. Nonetheless, Babafemi assured that the NDLEA follows strict procedures, implementing training and updated operating procedures. The agency remains committed to its mission, tackling drug trafficking and abuse with a society-centric approach.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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