The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has alerted that motor parks in Lagos, Oyo, Abuja and other cities have turned to flashpoints for drug shipments.

Disclosing this in Ilorin at the MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) stakeholder conference entitled, “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses,” the NDLEA Kwara State Commander, Fatima Popoola, said illicit drug dealers in the state often get their supplies from Lagos, Oyo, Abuja and other sources through commercial bus operators.

She explained that fighting the channel is often difficult because some drivers, believed to be financially induced, always avoid checkpoints, as the menace has taken deep root in society. According to her, aside from the commercial bus drivers, “some peddlers also use tinted SUVs to convey the banned substances.”

“It is a known fact that most crimes committed by the youth have underlying drug abuse,” Popoola stated. “We are calling on parents and community leaders to take due care of their young ones.”

She further called for more corporate participation in Nigeria’s drug war for more results, stating that MTN’s one per cent annual deduction after tax has gone a long way in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

The Commissioner for Social Development, Nnafatimah Imam, also commended the MTN Foundation for its advocacy on a drug-free society. (The Guardian)

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