The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has called for tougher action against drug traffickers and greater support for people struggling with drug dependence.
Abbas said drug abuse posed a serious threat to society and required a coordinated response involving law enforcement agencies, families, schools and communities.
“We must punish those who profit from drugs. We must also treat those who have become trapped by them. The dealer needs the law. The dependent person needs care,” he said.
The Speaker spoke on Saturday at the conclusion of a three-day sensitisation programme on drug abuse and domestic violence in Kaduna.
The programme, organised in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), formed part of Abbas’ constituency outreach.
He urged parents to watch for sudden changes in their children’s behaviour, while calling on schools to provide counselling and report warning signs.
He also appealed to pharmacists and medicine vendors to reject the unlawful sale of controlled substances, and urged traditional and religious leaders to speak out against addiction and abuse.
Abbas further called on neighbours, market associations and transport unions to report violence and suspicious movements of drugs.
“Victims should seek safety, obtain medical care, preserve evidence, and report abuse. Communities must protect them, not punish them with blame or shame,” he said.
The Speaker linked drug trafficking to Nigeria’s wider security challenges, particularly banditry and kidnapping in the North-West.
He said drugs could impair judgement, increase aggression and deepen poverty, but stressed that drug use could not excuse criminal violence.
“Domestic violence is not discipline or culture. It is abuse. It harms the victim, frightens children, and weakens the community,” he said.
Abbas said drug trafficking provided criminal networks with funds and could facilitate the movement of weapons, illicit money and violent offenders.
“The damage caused by drugs does not stop at the family door. It spreads into our streets, schools, markets, and security system,” he said.
He added that disrupting drug supply chains was an important part of efforts to combat violent crime, noting that every shipment intercepted could deny criminals resources for weapons and recruitment.
According to him, drug control should form part of broader security efforts in the North-West, where communities continue to face banditry and kidnapping.
“Enforcement stops the shipment. Education reduces the demand. Treatment restores the individual. Community vigilance protects the neighbourhood,” he said.
Abbas recalled that the previous edition of the programme, held in February 2025, preceded a four-month campaign across the North-West.
He said the initiative was intended to take awareness efforts beyond conference halls by engaging traditional rulers, religious leaders, teachers, parents, young people and community organisations.
The Speaker commended the NOA Director-General, Lanre Issa Onilu, and his team for taking the campaign into Kaduna communities and engaging market leaders, transport workers, youth groups and traditional institutions.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, National Youth Service Corps and relevant state agencies.
Abbas commended President Bola Tinubu for retaining Brigadier-General Mohammed Marwa (rtd.) as NDLEA Director-General and supporting enforcement, international cooperation, public education and treatment initiatives, including the establishment of a 50-bed rehabilitation centre in Maiduguri.
He said the National Assembly had also taken steps to strengthen Nigeria’s response to drug abuse and related violence.
According to him, the House in 2024 called for preventive drug testing programmes in secondary schools and directed NOA and NDLEA to expand awareness among students.
He said the House had also called for stronger enforcement against the indiscriminate sale of prescription medicines, while considering legislative measures to strengthen the NDLEA Act.
Abbas added that in 2025, the House called for faster investigation and prosecution of cases involving femicide, homicide and related violence.
He assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would continue to support enforcement and treatment, strengthen relevant laws and use its oversight powers to demand improved results.
The Speaker urged Nigerians to play their part in preventing drug abuse, tackling domestic violence and protecting vulnerable members of society.
