Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa has advised against legalising the use of marijuana in Nigeria because of the social consequences of such a law.
Spokesman for the agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi said in a statement entitled ‘Marwa warns against attempt to legalise cannabis,’ that the NDLEA chairman gave the warning at a national security summit organised by the House of Representatives.
Marwa argued that legalising the use of cannabis in the country would rob it of the gains it has so far recorded in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking
He said the current figure of 10.6 million Nigerians abusing cannabis was frightening adding that there is a nexus between substance abuse and security challenges in the country.
“Presently, there is no bigger national issue than the issue of insecurity in Nigeria, it is one of the big challenges, if not the biggest threatening our country
“Insecurity is today a full-blown malady with many manifestations such as insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, murder, robbery, reprisal killings name it.”
“The relationship between substance abuse and crime is a fact.
“What is clear is that no sane human being will rise against society to commit the kind of gross atrocities as we are witnessing in recent years, except such an individual has first hardened his heart with mind altering substances.
“The use of drugs for perverted purposes is not a new phenomenon, neither is it something that just started in Nigeria. There are precedents in world history.
“Nigeria should be the last country to consider a law to legalize marijuana in any shape or form.
“Should we have such a law, we will soon become a nation of junkies and criminals.
“As such, I will like to caution that our lawmakers should not legalise cannabis because it will amount to taking a step forward and 10 steps backward.”
