Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has renewed the call for mandatory drug testing of corps members, insisting the proposal is aimed at prevention rather than punishment.
Marwa made the statement in Abuja when the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brig. Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, visited the NDLEA headquarters with senior officials of the scheme.
The visit was confirmed in a statement released Wednesday, April 23, by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
“This is not a punitive action,” Marwa said. “The goal is prevention, helping individuals before drug use escalates into addiction.”
He warned that the country was facing a drug crisis, citing alarming statistics from national surveys.
“One in seven Nigerians aged 15 to 64 is involved in drug use. The drug scourge continues to ravage our families and communities. There is no part of this country untouched by the crisis,” he said.
Marwa outlined the agency’s two-pronged approach, cutting supply while reducing demand through education, counselling, and rehabilitation.
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He commended NYSC’s collaboration through the establishment of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) clubs in orientation camps but said more needed to be done.
“In addition to suggesting that intending couples obtain drug-free certificates, we believe early detection through drug tests can prevent severe consequences, including psychiatric disorders, which affect not only users but the society at large,” he added.
To deepen intervention, Marwa proposed assigning corps members with training in psychology, nursing, psychiatry, or counselling to NDLEA treatment centres for their primary assignments.
“This will deepen their professional experience and enhance the agency’s rehabilitation efforts,” he said.
In response, the NYSC DG called the idea a “fantastic” one and pledged to carefully review the proposal.
Nafiu also gave assurances that a framework would be created to ensure corps members with the right qualifications are posted to NDLEA commands, especially those with active treatment and counselling centres.
He applauded Marwa’s leadership and reaffirmed NYSC’s support for the NDLEA’s mission to combat drug abuse among Nigerian youth.