Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, says kidnapping would continue unless the nation gets to the root cause of the menace.
He said this on Thursday at the inauguration of the Special Purpose Committee of the NDLEA.
The 33-member of the committee was drawn from the Academia, Civil Society Practitioners in Drugs Rehabilitation, Medical Professionals, Youth, Women Groups, Religious Bodies and Public Advocacy groups.
Marwa said, “The use of drugs in Nigeria is getting to epidemic proportions with about 15 million approximately, nearly thrice the global prevalence.
“We have so much criminality everywhere in our land, and it is increasing instead of abating, starting with kidnapping, insurgency, banditry in the North West, then moving to Niger. Now it has upgraded to rape and assassinations.
“Behind it all is drug use. Criminals all use drugs, even kidnappers now ask for ransom in drugs. Unless we get to this root cause, we will only be scorching at the surface as the criminalities will continue to flourish.
“I should also add that criminalities involve selling of drugs to fund their nefarious activities.”
