Lieutenant- Geneneral Faruk Yahaya, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has stressed the requirement that Commanders at all levels of the Nigerian Army (NA) conduct recurring sensitization exercises on drug abuse , to inform soldiers of the dangers of using and selling hard narcotics. The Nigerian Army, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and Initiative Against Addiction and Substance Abuse in Nigeria (IAASAN) organized the Anti-Drugs and Narcotics Control Conference in Sokoto. The Army Chief made the announcement there.
The COAS stated that the purpose of the awareness conference was to emphasize the value of raising ongoing awareness among soldiers and other security personnel. The COAS was represented by General Officer Commanding 8 Division Nigerian Army/Commander Joint Taskforce North West Operation HADARIN DAJI, Major General Godwin Mutkut. Particularly those who are involved in military activities across the nation, where they are likely to turn to narcotics in order to deal with the intense pressure and related stress.
The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for drug misuse cases, according to the COAS, thus personnel who are caught using narcotics will be subject to legal repercussions. According to him, the NA has encouraged proper provisions for staff welfare in an effort to neutralize and deter personnel from the threat. He thus urged Commanders to give their soldiers’ administrative needs top attention and to occasionally plan sensitization exercises to inform them of the risks associated with drug use and abuse at all command levels.
For working with the Nigerian Army to carry out the sensitization exercise, Lieutenant General Yahaya praised the NDLEA and IAASAN. The North West was chosen primarily because troops and employees of various security agencies are presently battling banditry and other types of criminal activity, including the threat posed by drug misuse. He was upbeat about the exercise’s potential to educate security officers and significantly address the issues of drug misuse and trafficking in the area.
Princess Jamila Abubakar, Chief Executive Officer of IAASAN and conference organizer, said in her opening remarks that the North West region, which is within the 8 Division Area of Responsibility, was chosen because of the rise in drug use and trafficking among residents of the region, particularly young people.
The novelty football game and award presentations to some of the dignitaries in attendance were the conference’s highlights.
