NDLEA tasks churches on drug rehabilitation centres
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has urged churches to establish drug rehabilitation centres to curb the menace of drug abuse in the country.
The Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, made the call during thanksgiving service to mark the 2022 World Drug Day at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Abuja on Sunday.
Marwa, represented by the Secretary of the agency, Mr Shadrach Haruna, said that tackling drug abuse was not for the government alone.
He said that the church was a place where people listen and work on its advice, as such it should join the war against drug abuse.
“Today, we are here to also speak to churches and ask them to join in this war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, we need church as a partner to fight this war.
“We urge you to also establish rehabilitation homes; your rehabilitation homes are more acceptable to drug dependants than the government rehab homes.
“Just like missionary schools which are acceptable more than the government schools because of the moral conduct in such schools.
“We now have a toll free line that people can call even from the comfort of their homes. You do not need to mention your name because people fear stigmatisation. You can tune into any language and they will counsel you.
“This is the kind of services we also urge churches to do as well. We will launch the toll free line soon, ” he said.
Marwa said that the achievement recorded by the agency was due to the vigilance of the officers and men of the agency and God’s guidance and support.
Speaking, the Senior Pastor, Rev. Azaki Nash, said that ECWA church had since joined the war against drug abuse.
Nash said that the church had included into its budget, a ministry devoted to reaching out to young men and women hooked to drugs.
He said that the church was helping drug addicts through counselling, rehabilitation and connecting them with resources and personnel that could help them.
“I want to tell you that we started in January and as at this time, we have grown beyond serving our immediate community, we are going into our neighborhood, helping men and women that are hooked to drugs.
“The church has a role and for us here, we have seen the need, and we have taken part actively and we will continue to perform our roles to ensure that our society is drug free.
“Truly, times are tough and difficult, but drugs would not take away one’s problems,” he added.
Nash advised young people to abstain from anything related to drugs, “because once you start getting involved in doing drugs, you will become so hooked.
“The best practice is prevention, which is abstainance from drugs and substances.”
The clergyman said that the society must “expose those that are facilitating the importation of substances that are injurious to men and women in our communities”.
According to Nash, this will save the country from destruction and help the society to raise young men and women that are rational, conscious and drug-free.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is marked globally on June 26, every year. (NAN)
