The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Niger is to collaborate with the state government to eradicate hawking of drugs on the streets.
Mr Anikoh Ibrahim, the State Coordinator of NAFDAC, made this known on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
“ Street hawking of drugs is a general problem in the North but the agency will not allow it to thrive in Niger.
“As part of our strategies in tackling the menace, we will collaborate with the Niger State Task force on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processing of Food.
“We want to partner with the task force to eradicate the unwholesome act through sensitisation of the populace,” he said.
Ibrahim said that the agency was currently confiscating such drugs and leaving the hawkers to go free.
He, however, said the taskforce would soon begin to arrest and charge culprits to court.
“The state task force will be required to assist in our campaign to eradicate drug hawking and stop its patronage by the people.
“For now, we confiscate such drugs from hawkers. But soon, we will start arresting the hawkers and charge them to the court,” he said.
A member of the state task force on drugs, Dr Ahmed Muhammad, who confirmed the partnership, said it was a welcome development.
He said this would complement the mandate of the two agencies in tackling the menace of drug hawking in the state. NAN
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