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President Tinubu rallies support for drug war, assures NDLEA of more help
President Tinubu rallies support for drug war, assures NDLEA of more help
By: Michael Mike
President Bola Tinubu has given express support to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its ongoing fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking as well as its ramped-up efforts to prevent the Nigerian populace from falling prey to the drug scourge.
The President gave the assurance on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, otherwise known as World Drug Day on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre Abuja.
Speaking on the theme of the day, which is “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention,” President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said: “I enjoin all and sundry to support the War Against Drug Abuse initiative, otherwise known as the WADA campaign, launched by NDLEA three years ago. I commend and urge everyone to redouble their efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking in the country.
“On this score, I wish to reassure you of this administration’s support. The Renewed Hope Agenda places the youth at the centre of its focus. Therefore, we ensure that our young people are protected from anything that could derail their future or destroy their potential.”
The President, while noting that illicit drugs and substances have wreaked havoc on individuals, families, communities and countries worldwide, said: “In the face of such a formidable challenge, prevention is the most potent weapon that we can deploy. Prevention not only saves lives; it also saves resources that would otherwise be spent on treatment and rehabilitation. It empowers individuals to make informed choices, promotes healthy lifestyles and creates resilient communities capable of withstanding the pressures of drug abuse.

“Investing in prevention is not merely a moral imperative, a prudent way of safeguarding our future. By allocating resources towards evidence-based prevention programmes, we can break the vicious cycle of drug abuse and protect our youth from falling prey to the menace.”
The President added that “The assignment before us as a country requires that we prioritise evidence-based prevention strategies, allocate adequate resources and foster partnerships for greater impact.”
He consequently gave strong assurances that: “This government will support NDLEA to build on the success recorded in the past few years. We shall work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we have positive statistics from the next national drug use survey that will be conducted in the country.”
He urged all Nigerians to join hands in this noble cause, noting that: “This is an assignment for all patriotic citizens of this country, including religious leaders, traditional leaders, educational institutions, opinion leaders, and civil society organisations.”
He noted that: “NDLEA has created a formidable platform for cooperation vis-à-vis its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy initiative.”
In his welcome remark, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) said that the ‘Save Our Families’ social advocacy campaign launched at the ceremony by the President, is designed to prevent and tackle drug use through early detection and intervention by making the Agency’s newly produced special drug test kits a necessity in every home, schools and workplaces.
According to him, “The Agency has introduced the Drug Integrity Test initiative anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian. The test is intended for secondary school students, students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and returning students, workers in government and private offices and individuals seeking political offices as well as prospective couples before taking their marriage vows. The drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and early detection of the individual’s status of drug use for the purpose of appropriate intervention including treatment and rehabilitation. Let me also add that our drug integrity test, which has been adopted by some government institutions and tertiary institutions in the country, is a preventive mechanism.
“As a result, we have produced tens of thousands of special test kits capable of detecting 15 different substances, now available in all our commands across the country. This is for use in homes, schools, workplaces and others. Apart from helping in early detection of drug abuse especially by our youths so that we can get them help in form of treatment, this will also create some deterrence effects.”
Speaking on the theme for this year’s World Drug Day, Marwa said drug use prevention lies at the heart of NDLEA’s strategy in addressing the drug problem because it is far more effective and cost-efficient to prevent drug abuse than to deal with its consequences.
Marwa said: “In this regard, we have used our War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy initiative to campaign vigorously at the grassroots and create awareness for our people to shun illicit substances. WADA is a sensitization and advocacy initiative that employs the whole of society approach to engage all stakeholders including the Government sectors, institutions, and Non-Governmental Organisations with emphasis on youths in and out of school, community gatekeepers including traditional and community leaders, as well as religious leaders among others. I am proud to state that the programme has been a tremendous success as an effective tool of advocacy for social action and an awareness driven vehicle for public engagement and collaboration against the drug scourge.
“For instance, between 2021 and 2024, the Agency embarked on 6,423 sensitization and education programmes targeting young people in school and 987 programmes for Out of School youths in order to create awareness on the dangers associated with drug use. This is in addition to the millions of homes reached with our anti-substance abuse messages through our aggressive and impactful media campaigns using various traditional and new media platforms.”
He noted that apart from the various plans and initiatives deployed as preventive measures against the availability and access of illicit substances as well as their abuse by citizens, the Agency has been providing counselling and treatment for people struggling with drug dependence across 30 of its treatment and counselling centres nationwide where 33, 453 drug users had been treated in three and a half years.
The outgoing UNODC Country Representative, Dr. Oliver Stolpe also made a number of recommendations. “After the exceptionally successful testing of the school-based drug prevention programme UNPLUGGED involving half a million secondary school children in Nigeria, the programme should be rolled out to all 28, 000 public and private secondary schools. We need to enhance the resilience against drug use among the millions of out-of-school children, for example through sports-based initiatives such as LINE UP LIVE UP (LULU). Furthermore, we need to strengthen families in their ability to recognise and address drug use in effective and constructive ways.”
Stolpe further said: “Most importantly, there is an urgent need to repeat the 2018 national drug use survey. Without up-to-date data, there is no way in which we can assess whether our collective efforts have long-term impact and address the actual priorities.”
The Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, who emphasized the importance of testing in schools expressed the ministry’s support for NDLEA drug test campaign while he called on agencies of government “to work together and support all these efforts.”
According to him: “The most important place where this prevention fight should start is the education sector. And we will do our own part, even last week, it was something we considered and promised to review the existing policies so that we can work with NDLEA to take it to secondary schools and primary schools. To establish at all levels compulsory and sustained testing. It has to be compulsory and sustained, right through the years and period of their education.”
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Hon. Abass Adigun on his part called for more budgetary provisions for NDLEA in the face of its multi-faceted mandate. “We at the national assembly are ready to work with the NDLEA and we need the federal government to look into this.”
Others who spoke in the same light include Senator Sadiq Umar who represented the Senate President; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN; Chairman of MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi Adeluyi and guest lecturer at the event, Dr. Vincent Udenze of Intersect Consortium, among others.
President Tinubu rallies support for drug war, assures NDLEA of more help
News
Borno belong to APC, Zulum affirms party supremacy, says we are for Tinubu
Borno belong to APC, Zulum affirms party supremacy, says we are for Tinubu
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has stated that the state is an undisputed stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and remains loyal to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The governor made the assertion on Monday during flag-off of the APC Northeast e-registration workshop in Maiduguri.

The occasion, which brought together national party leadership, state executives, local government chairmen, and members of the national and state assemblies, was convened to ensure the party’s membership e-registration exercise as part of the digital reform process.
Governor Zulum, addressing the gathering, said, “I want to assure you that the Government of Borno State under my leadership will provide the desired support to ensure the success of the APC membership e-registration exercise in the north east.”

“Our party members in other states governed by other political parties will be supported to get captured.”
Zulum further stated, “Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind, Borno State is 100% for the APC. Our loyalty to the party and its leadership is absolute,” Governor Zulum declared.
“Let us be frank and remember our recent history. Before the APC came to power, Borno State was on its knees. Our local governments were under siege, our economy was shattered, and our people were living in fear.”
“But look at where we are today. The narrative is shifting, and this shift is due to the relentless efforts and massive support from the APC-led federal government.”

“From the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, we received unprecedented support in our fight against terrorism. We witnessed the establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), which has played a crucial role in rebuilding our communities and infrastructure.”
“Now, under our leader, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this support has not wavered; it has been strengthened. The President has shown a deep commitment to the final restoration of peace in Borno and the entire North-East. The Federal Government is actively collaborating with our administration to ensure the safe resettlement of our people and the rebuilding of their livelihoods.”
“The evidence is clear for all to see. The APC government at the federal level has been a true partner in our journey from the storm to normalcy. For the first time, our son became the Vice President of Nigeria under the APC.”

“I wish to reiterate my call to the good people of Borno State to join me in supporting the re-election of President Tinubu in the 2027 General Elections. Let us begin to build that momentum now. Let us work together to ensure his visionary leadership continues to guide our nation forward,” Zulum said.
Borno belong to APC, Zulum affirms party supremacy, says we are for Tinubu
News
Newly coronated Hausa monarch of Makurdi dies after brief illness
Newly coronated Hausa monarch of Makurdi dies after brief illness
By: Zagazola Makama
The newly coronated Hausa Monarch of Makurdi, His Royal Highness Alhaji Rayanu Sangami, has died after a brief illness.
According to the sources, Alhaji Sangami died on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State.
His remains were conveyed to Makurdi the same day and buried at about 11:20 a.m. according to Islamic rites.
The late monarch was coronated as the Sarkin Hausawa of Makurdi on Sept. 20, 2025.
Newly coronated Hausa monarch of Makurdi dies after brief illness
News
MOTION Condemns Demolition of Homes in Oworonsoki
MOTION Condemns Demolition of Homes in Oworonsoki
…Says Action, Genocide Against the Poor
By: Michael Mike
The Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria (MOT!ON) has condemned in the strongest possible terms the alleged ongoing state-sponsored brutality and unlawful demolition of homes in Oworonsoki, Lagos.
The organisation, in a statement on Monday signed by Hauwa Mustapha and Chris Isiguzo, Convener and Co-Convener respectively, said reports confirmed that in the early hours of Sunday, armed policemen and hired thugs invaded the community, teargassed residents, and destroyed homes in defiance of a subsisting court injunction, adding that this brazen contempt for the rule of law, and disregard for human life and dignity, marks yet another dark chapter in the Lagos State Government’s deliberate war against the poor.
The statement read: “This is more disheartening against the fact that the world bank in October 2025 declared Nigeria to be home to 139 million people living in extreme poverty in its report.
One would have thought that the Nigerian government are collectively working hard to lift people out of poverty, unfortunately, the Lagos state government has allowed private interest to override public interest in complete defiance to an existing court order.”
It reminded that: “Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nation Convention on Human Rights. According to United Nation’s definition, forced evictions is the permanent or temporary removal against their will of individuals, families and/or communities from the homes and/or land which they occupy, without the provision of, and access to, appropriate forms of legal or other protection.
“And article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights states that the States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right, recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international co-operation based on free consent.
“At the time of this press statement, over 7,000 housing units have already been lost in the Oworonsoki community- a home to the middle class and poorest office poor in Lagos state, with families, pregnant women, children, and the elderly rendered homeless overnight. This is the height of abuse of human rights, cruel treatment of the poor and brazen disregard for the rule of law.
“We want to state clearly that it is irresponsible for the Lagos State government to discard these structures as “illegal structures.” These are people’s lives, built over decades of labour, community, and love. To tear them down without dialogue, compensation, or relocation is not urban development. The Lagos State government is carrying out a social cleansing and a genocide against poor people.
“The government’s actions violate not only the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which makes the welfare of the citizens, including their housing welfare, the responsibility of the government, but also violate the basic principles of humanity and justice. When the state becomes the destroyer of homes rather than their protector, it ceases to be legitimate in the eyes of the people, and utterly useless.
We, therefore, demand an immediate cessation of all demolition activities involving the houses of the Nigerian people in Oworonshoki and across Lagos State, and across Nigeria, immediately. We demand full compliance with the court injunction issued by Justice A.G. Balogun, and an independent investigation into the involvement of armed police and hired thugs in the attack on residents.
“We demand a commensurate compensation and emergency housing for all displaced families, and a public apology and accountability from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Task Force leadership.
“MOT!ON stands with the displaced residents of Oworonshokiand every Nigerian community facing the tyranny of forced evictions and state violence. The struggle for transformation begins in the defense of ordinary lives against the machinery of greed and impunity.
“If the government insists on destroying homes under the cover of “development,” the people must insist on building a country where justice, not bulldozers, shapes our cities. We demand that the government stop the demolitions now. Stop the violence now. Return the people’s homes now!”
MOTiON is a collective force of Nigerians from mass democratic organisations, workers’ organisations, pro-democracy movements, movements for social justice, women groups, citizens groups, NGOs, academia, students and youth groups, and climate action groups. We are a movement of movements channeling shared anger, frustration and aspirations of Nigerians into purposeful action. Through concerted, strategic effort, we are engaging in citizens’ actions to address and overcome the root causes of Nigeria’s current state: elite capture, ineffective leadership, institutional corruption, insecurity, and the pervasive culture of impunity.
MOTION Condemns Demolition of Homes in Oworonsoki
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