Senate Wednesday raised the alarm that the recently banned codeine syrups and other related drugs have now found their ways into the Sambisa forest inhabited by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents.
It said not only the insurgents and soldiers were allegedly involved in drug addiction but residents of the terrorised communities in northern part of the country.
The hallowed chamber, has consequently mandated its committee on drugs, narcotics and health to swing into action of investigation and report back for further legislative action. This development followed order 43 moved by the senate leader, Ahmed Lawan representing Yobe north senatorial district.
In his explanation, the Senate Leader said, “This drug abuse is what is killing us. More than 70 percent of codeine syrups and other narcotics find their way to Sambisa forest, and probably in the hands of the insurgents or the soldiers”.
He said the federal government recently banned the production and importation of codeine syrups, but maintained that there is so much abuse of the drugs today.
It would be recalled that Senate had in October last year sequel to a motion against massive abuse of drugs in Jigawa, Kano found out that over three million quantities of the banned syrups was consumed on a daily basis. It sent a delegation to Kano to seek ways of its amelioration.
It is said that this abusive consumption of the syrups and other related drugs are part of the fallout of the Boko Haram menace.
Further investigations also indicated that not only the soldiers and insurgents are in the habit of the excessive consumption but young girls, boys and women of the affected northern communities are also involved.
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