Tinubu Speaks On Drug Abuse, Urges Law Agencies In Africa To Crush Syndicates

 Nigeria's President, Bola Tinubu has said that the African continent would remain in chains till it breaks free from the shackles of the criminal enterprises of drug barons and syndicates of illicit drugs.

 Tinubu implored heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in Africa to renew the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in their respective countries.

The Nigerian president that the African continent would remain in chains unless it breaks free from the shackles of the criminal enterprises of drug barons and syndicates of illicit drugs.

 Tinubu made this known in Abuja on Tuesday when he declared open the 31st meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF) at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

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“If we don’t dismantle the criminal enterprises that threaten our future and build a brighter tomorrow for all Africans, we will remain in chains in a diseased and amoral world, as will our children and their children,” he told the anti-narcotics agencies’ chiefs.

Tinubu who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event which had the keynote address titled, ‘Rising Above the Drug Threat’, observed that Africa was “at the mercy of a threat that knows neither race nor geography, neither gender nor social class”.

He also enjoined the heads of drug law enforcement agencies to consider the conference in Abuja as a ray of hope and a catalyst for positive change across the continent.

 Tinubu thanked them for their sacrifices in ensuring a world that is free of illicit drugs.

“This threat has crossed borders and destroyed societies and dreams. Without the moral commitment of the men and women in this room, this threat would have left cities, countries, and even civilizations erased. So, I must commend you for your sacrifices in the bids to keep our world drug-free, sane and safe", he said.

“This conference emphasizes your investment across borders to protect us from the devastations of drugs, a threat that only submits to the enforcement of the law.

“Therefore, we are grateful to HONLAF and its partners, notably the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for creating this avenue, for offering intelligence and drug law enforcement officials a grand opportunity to compare notes, collaborate, and build networks that would be several steps ahead of the criminal network of drug transnational organisations.”