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NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues

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NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues

NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues

By: Michael Mike

Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commissioned a modern 24/7 call centre set up to attend to Nigerians from all parts of the country with needs on drug related issues.

Speaking at the commissioning, Marwa said that drug users and addicts no longer have excuse not to seek treatment with the commissioning of the modern 24/7 call centre set up to attend to Nigerians from all parts of the country.

The NDLEA call centre with toll free helpline is manned by professionals and experts in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry among others.

According to Marwa, “the provision of this toll-free helpline is a milestone in our resolve to broaden access to quality health care for drug users in the country. This has become a necessity and a strategic intervention in our determined effort to bring under control the increasing cases of drug use disorder and related health concerns.”

He said though the country has treatment centres, while NDLEA has 26 treatment facilities across its commands, they are nevertheless grossly inadequate in the face of statistics of drug users and those suffering from drug use disorder

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He said: “NDLEA recognised the importance of providing a safety bubble for users who ordinarily cannot access the conventional treatment services at established rehabilitation centres due to poverty, social stigma and the resultant discrimination attached to being an identified drug user in society, among other factors. Therefore, the inevitability and the utility of a toll-free helpline that guarantees anonymity, confidentiality and safety, as a motivation for those in need of health help to freely seek such.”

He noted that: “The NDLEA Call Centre is manned by a team of licensed and credible clinical psychologists, counsellors, support workers and mental health professionals who would provide the needed support in aiding recovery, managing social and emotional problems, improving quality of life and enhancing performance and productivity of the users of the service. With its state-of-the-art equipment and its team of highly trained professionals in substance abuse disorder, this centre offers a teletherapy service according to global best practices.”

He disclosed that: “The benefit of the Call Centre is manifolds. Aside from helping us in providing telephone-based psychosocial support and addiction services in the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), it will at the same time provide us with information that will deepen our understanding of the country’s dynamics of drug use and potentially put us ahead of the game.”

He said: “To those in need of help, we open a new chapter today, whereby help is just a phone call away. We have simplified the helpline service by making it language-sensitive whereby callers have the choice of language including English, Pidgin, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. And very importantly, the helpline is open 24/7. A call to the helpline, 0800 1020 3040, elicits a prompt response from professionals, regardless of the time or geographic location.

“The calls open the door to engagements with counsellors, followed by service orientation that leads to case management, at which point the engagement moves from telephone assessment to follow-up therapy sessions and referral. This seamless process ends in Resolution and Aftercare Follow-Up. Given the simplicity of the process, there is no valid excuse for not accessing treatment by drug users and their concerned families.  We expect those concerned to take advantage of this opportunity.”

In their remarks at the event, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the federation, Muhammed Abubakar; UNODC country representative, Oliver Stolpe and European Union delegation representative, Eleni Zerzerlidou commended the NDLEA for the initiative, while calling for its expansion and sustenance.

The Chief Executive of the company managing the centre, Primly Services Ltd, Dr. Vincent Udenze commended Marwa for providing the leadership that made the initiative a reality.

NDLEA Opens 24/7 Call Centre to Assist People with Drug Related Issues

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Armed Bandits Kill One in Attack on Commercial Vehicle in Sokoto

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Armed Bandits Kill One in Attack on Commercial Vehicle in Sokoto

By: Zagazola Makama

On April 3, 2025, at approximately 1130 hours, a group of armed bandits riding motorcycles, opened fire on a commercial vehicle traveling from Kebbi to Sokoto.

The attack resulted in the death of one Dan Gande Usman, who was shot in the head. The victim succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital.

In response to the attack, troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA were deployed to the area to ensure sanity.

Armed Bandits Kill One in Attack on Commercial Vehicle in Sokoto

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Crime

Bandits Attack Rijiya Village in Zamfara, Kill Eight, Set School Ablaze

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Bandits Attack Rijiya Village in Zamfara, Kill Eight, Set School Ablaze

By: Zagazola Makama

A deadly bandit attack on Rijiya Village in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State has left eight people dead and a primary school set on fire.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that at approximately 1600 hours, on April 3, a group of armed bandits, heavily armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons, invaded the village.

The assailants opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in the deaths of two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CPG) and six civilians.

In addition to the loss of lives, the bandits set fire to a primary school that was being occupied by the CPG members.

Bandits Attack Rijiya Village in Zamfara, Kill Eight, Set School Ablaze

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Police Inspector Killed in Terrorist Attack at Gwoza, Borno

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Police Inspector Killed in Terrorist Attack at Gwoza, Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

A police inspector was killed during an ambush by suspected Boko Haram insurgents at the Police Mobile Force Training College (PMFTC) Camp Limankara, Gwoza.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at approximately 0600 hours on April 3, 2025, while a team of officers, including those from Mopol Training School Gwoza and various Mobile Police Force units, were on foot patrol.

Inspector Andrawus Musa, attached to 6PMF Maiduguri, was fatally injured during the attack. His service rifle, an AK-47, was taken by the assailants.

The victim was immediately evacuated to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The body has been deposited at the hospital for autopsy.

Police Inspector Killed in Terrorist Attack at Gwoza, Borno

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