NDLEA Chairman reveals what fuels insurgency in north-east

The chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Muhammad Abdallah, has said the insurgency witnessed in the North-East region of the country is being fueled by tramadol abuse.

Abdallah made this known to newsmen on Thursday while speaking ahead of an International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking scheduled for June 26.

According to the NDLEA boss, tramadol is the most abused sedative in the country.

He said “Tramadol, if I will explain a little bit more, for normal medicinal dosage is between 50mg and 100mg.

“But the ones we have seen in Nigeria ranges from 200mg to like 500mg, even a horse will be deadbeat by the time it takes that.

“This is exactly what Nigerians have been taking and that is what fuels insurgency in the north-east because theatre commandants have testified to me that every Boko Haram camp they have overrun, they found paraphernalia of drug abuse, particularly tramadol.

“The whole average of drug abuse in nations is 5%. In Nigeria, it is getting to 15%.

“That is not a data or a statistic we should be happy with.”

“However, the government has taken some steps to improve some of the deficiencies of the agency.

“For a start, Mr President has authorised an upgrade on the staff strength of the agency.

“A staff strength of 5,000, without being told, is not a staff strength that can fight drugs the way it should be fought in Nigeria.


“Let me just mention three local governments you know Mushin in Lagos, you know Fagge in Kano or even Nyanya in Abuja; I could deploy all of that strength to these places including me and there will still be some loopholes for trafficking and abuse to go on.

“That is why the president has approved the upgrade in phases. Following this will be logistics and equipment which come naturally with the upgrade of personnel,” he added.