The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) has urged Muslims and Christians to ensure drug tests are conducted for intending couples as criteria before marriage.
Marwa stated this when he separately met with the Plateau Chapters of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI) to collaborate on ways to curb the surge of drug abuse in Nigeria.
According to him, the two religious bodies have key roles to play in ending the rising spate of drug peddling and consumption in the country.
He maintained that conducting drug test for intending couples will be a key strategy towards curbing the consumption of illicit substances among young people.
“The rise in drug abuse particularly among young Nigerians is alarming.
“Both Muslims and Christians take illicit substances; there is no religion or community that is exempted.
“This is why we have decided to pay you this advocacy visit to seek your support and cooperation in dealing with this menace
“But most importantly, we want to appeal that just like HIV, Hepatitis and other tests are compulsory for intending couples, we want you to include drug test as part of conditions before marriage.
“We strongly believe that such move will go a long way to curtail the way young people abuse drugs in the society,” he said.
Marwa further urged the religious leaders to include drug teachings in their sermons, Sunday school manuals and catechism.
He also urged parents to educate their wards on the dangers of drug abuse.
The chairman assured that the agency was doing all within its powers to curb influx of illicit substances into the country.
He vowed that anyone caught with hard drugs, no matter how highly placed, would be made to face the full wrath of the law
“Our target is to make illicit drugs scarce; when it is not available, the consumption will also go down.
“This is why NDLEA is doing all within its powers to seize illicit drugs at all points and we will continue to do so until we chase the monster away from our society,” he said