By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS—The Federal Government of Nigeria has entered into a mutual agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to combat drug trafficking in the sub-region.

Chairman of Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Ahmadu Giade, made the disclosure yesterday when he led a delegation of the agency on a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos Council, over recent kidnap of its chairman and four others.

According to him, ECOWAS was now fully involved in the fight against drug trafficking to complement existing efforts in arresting the menace. He called on NUJ to partner with the agency on drug control.

His said: “We are working round the clock to identify, arrest and prosecute drug traffickers in the country.

“Drug and crime are interwoven. Therefore, when you control drug trafficking, you are equally controlling crime.”
Serious criminal acts like kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, arson and many more are usually perpetrated under the influence of drugs.”

Warning on the dangers of the illicit drug trade, Giade noted that not all drugs that enter the country are eventually smuggled out.

“The glaring implication is that drug barons scout for local markets thus increasing the number of drug addicts in the country,” he said.

Responding, Oba, who also relieved part of his experience in the kidnappers’ den, stressed the importance of security in the  nation and the need to urgently address the issues of kidnapping, armed robbery and militancy among others.