The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, emphasized the need for focused efforts to create sustainable alternative sources of income for individuals involved in illegal drug trafficking.
Marwa made this plea during a meeting of the NDLEA Special Purpose Committee, which focused on the Alternative Development project in Nigeria.
He stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in eradicating drug trafficking and safeguarding the public from exploitation by drug cartels.
According to Marwa, providing these illicit drug traffickers with viable alternatives for a living would effectively curb the production and trade of illicit drugs in the country.
“Now that they are fast losing ground in the illicit drug business as a result of heavy clamp down on them, they may go into other crimes.
“We, therefore, need to provide sustainable alternative means of engaging them so that we do not recycle illicit drug dealers in the world of crime,” he said.
Marwa acknowledged crop substitution and education as important tools that would be employed by the agency as part of the Alternative development programme.
“In our efforts to provide people-centred sustainable and legitimate alternatives to illicit drugs, we will set up structures to provide education to the people on the dangers that illicit drug cultivation and production pose to security and the environment,” he said.
Marwa, who was represented by his Special Adviser on National Drug Control Master Plan, Lanre Ipinmisho, said illicit drug cultivation and production are threatening national and global security and affect the natural ecosystem.
