NDLEA Advocates Drug Integrity Tests for Corps Members, Prospective Couples to Curb Substance Abuse – Marwa

…NYSC DG Visits Agency, Seeks Enhanced Collaboration

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has clarified that the agency’s push for drug integrity tests for youth corps members, intending couples, and other groups is not punitive, but rather a proactive measure aimed at early detection and treatment of drug use to forestall addiction and its attendant health complications.

Marwa gave this explanation during a courtesy visit by the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, who led a delegation of top NYSC officials to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, 23rd April 2025.

While congratulating Brig Gen Nafiu on his recent appointment, Marwa described the NYSC scheme as a national treasure and a critical vehicle for fostering unity across Nigeria’s diverse ethnic landscape.

He lamented the growing drug crisis across the country, noting that “the drug scourge has continued to devastate our kids, families, communities – everywhere. There’s nowhere you go in the country that you don’t have a drug abuse problem. One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 use drugs.”

Marwa acknowledged the Agency’s ongoing efforts to reduce drug supply and availability, but emphasised the importance of a multi-pronged approach that includes reducing demand through collaboration with stakeholders such as the NYSC.

“One of our strategies to address this is through our drug integrity test, which we’re advocating that NYSC should embrace for corps members,” he said.

He explained that the drug integrity test is a key element in the Agency’s drug demand reduction strategy, alongside preventive education, counselling, and rehabilitation.

“The same way we said if you are getting married, both the bride and the groom should bring a drug-free certificate. This is because it is always better to detect drug use early before it gets to addiction, which eventually could lead to psychiatric problems and become a danger to the user and the society,” Marwa stated.

In addition to advocating for testing, Marwa proposed that NYSC should consider posting corps members who studied Guidance and Counselling, Psychology, Nursing, and Psychiatry to NDLEA Counselling and Treatment Centres across the country as part of their primary assignment.

He noted that such deployment would expose the young professionals to vital experience in rehabilitation and psychosocial care.

In response, the NYSC Director General described the idea of the drug integrity test as “fantastic,” and pledged to thoroughly review the proposal for possible integration into the scheme’s operations.

He assured that NYSC would work towards developing a general guideline that enables the posting of qualified corps members to NDLEA Commands with Counselling and Treatment Centres nationwide.

Brig Gen Nafiu commended Marwa for the remarkable strides recorded by the NDLEA under his leadership, especially in the areas of enforcement and public advocacy.

He affirmed that the visit was not only to strengthen the existing collaboration between both organisations but also to explore new avenues for partnership in the collective fight against drug abuse.