…raise alarm over boko haram unprecedented attack, suspected foreign Influence

By Gloria Ikibah

Tempers flared on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday as Rep. Yusuf Gagdi, member representing Pankshin/Kanam/Kanke Federal Constituency of Plateau State, issued a scathing warning over the state of insecurity in the country, describing the situation as dangerous and potentially explosive.

The passionate outburst came during a debate on a motion of urgent public importance moved by Rep. Ahmed Satomi, following a recent fire incident at Amuri and a deadly attack on military formations in Borno and Yobe states.

Rep. Gagdi, who is also the Chairman House Committee on Navy, visibly agitated, expressed outrage at what he described as the government’s failure to act decisively on security threats, and accused some public officials of trivializing the real danger on the ground.

The lawmaker warned of a looming backlash if urgent action is not taken by the National Assembly and executive arm to address the worsening security crisis.

He said: “I will send you intelligence of the picture, of the arms and ammunitions, of the platforms that have been taken away by Boko Haram in Nigeria.

 “The gruesome pictures trending on social media Boko Haram attacked the military base, killed the military soldiers, burned all the armoured cars. My heart really bleeds when people are talking of 2027 politics. If there is no peace, there is no way you can play your politics.

“And when the leaders, when the governor is crying, or the representative of government, are forced to issue statement, undermining the supremacy of the chief security officer of the state, who knows what is happening in the state, who is crying, and someone within the comfort of his own will say that the governor is raising an unnecessary alarm, we are rascals, Nigerians are killing. This is unacceptable.

“Mr. Speaker, we must stand up and find a way of bringing this issue of insecurity together. Otherwise, you and I is the same. No matter how Nigerians respect us, we are moving to a level that Nigerians will fight us the way they fight criminals and the way they fight Boko Haram”.

In an emotional plea, Gagdi urged his colleagues to stop relying on media statements and start demanding real action from the government.

“Until the right thing is done by us here, until we speak for the Nigerian people, until we draw a line, until we tell government what we are supposed to tell government, and until government responds by action, not by media statement or press statement. Do not bet, Mr. Speaker, that any member of the National Assembly is safe to leave. Not by bondage, not by Boko Haram, but by the people that elected you and I. Time will come, if action is not taken, that Nigerians will take their destinies in their own hands.”

. ‘62,595 suspects arrested, 11,628 convicted and 10.3million kilograms illicit drugs seized in 51 months’

State governments have been charged to embrace and entrench community-based interventions that will curb the impact of the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking at the grassroots in line with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).

The charge was the highpoint of remarks by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa; Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Cheikh Ousmane Toure as well as ECOWAS representative, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah at a training workshop organized by NDLEA for the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum in Abuja on Tuesday 6th May 2025.

In her keynote address to the gathering, Senator Tinubu who was represented by wife of the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Laila Jibrin Barau commended the NDLEA, and NGSF for the initiative aimed at advancing drug control efforts to the grassroots across the country. She specifically commended Marwa and his team “for courageously confronting the fight against illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the country.”

According to her, “This training cannot be coming at any better time than now when statistics and daily life experiences are revealing that drugs have infiltrated every nook and cranny of our communities. As a nation, we are confronted with a growing crisis, one that affects the very core of our society, the health, safety, and future of our children.

“The rising tide of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents is a challenge that we must no longer ignore or tackle in isolation. It requires concerted efforts, community-driven response, one that integrates enforcement, education, family support, and sustained intervention. Our presence at this training testifies to the collective resolve we display in ensuring that we strengthen, secure, and safeguard families and communities.

“Today’s training will ensure that we are adequately armed with the right knowledge, tools, skills, and competencies necessary to effectively tackle this complex issue. It is my hope that this capacity-building workshop, through honest discussions and sharing of best practices, will provide valuable insights into evidence-based strategies for prevention, early intervention, and holistic treatment approaches, especially targeting marginalized and vulnerable communities.
“I urge us to utilize the knowledge gathered at this training to develop viable solutions while collaborating with relevant stakeholders, especially the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, other law enforcement agencies, MDAs, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders.

“Let us always bear in mind that as state First Ladies, you owe our people the duty to lead by example, to bear their burden, and share in their pain as we jointly confront drug abuse in our society. I urge us to continue to provide the right direction through prevention initiatives, advocating for those whose voices have been silenced by addiction, providing community interventions to support recovery and reintegrate people into communities after treatment.
“Let us approach the formidable task ahead with humility, doggedness, and commitment to enable us to build communities where our children are protected from harm and empowered to thrive. Together, we can change the narrative, restore dignity to our communities, and ensure a healthier, safer future for all Nigerians.”

In his welcome address, Marwa noted that the drug scourge obstructs progress and dims prospects in an already beleaguered world. “Regrettably, Nigeria is not immune to this scourge, which steadily infiltrates every stratum of our society. Statistics, academic research, and lived experiences alike reveal a grim reality about illicit drug use and consequences in the country. The magnitude and impact of the drug crisis render the attainment of our national aspiration—improving the health and security of all who dwell within our borders, as enshrined in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2021–2025—a daunting yet inevitable task for any government and people worthy of the name.”

He said it is imperative for all stakeholders at the workshop to adopt urgent, holistic, and inclusive strategies to dismantle the drug menace. According to him, “Over the past four years, the NDLEA has pursued this mission with renewed and unwavering zeal, ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes are not merely preserved but expanded.

“Permit me to inform this distinguished gathering that over the four years, the NDLEA has deployed substantial resources towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem, yielding significant outcomes. Under the drug supply reduction mandate—encompassing drug seizures, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions—we recorded the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects (Including 68 drug barons), the seizure of 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs, and secured the conviction of 11,628 offenders. Furthermore, 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed.

“To ensure a balanced approach in accordance with international best practices, equal emphasis has been placed on drug demand reduction. Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions. Concurrently, 10,501 drug sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the auspices of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign, reaching diverse target groups within communities. In parallel, a remarkable 3, 843, 789 participants were mobilized to partake in these enlightenment initiatives undertaken across the nation.”
He charged the stakeholders not surrender to despair over the menace of drug abuse. “As patriots and vanguards of our nation’s well-being, it falls on us to strengthen our resolve, to move with deliberate speed towards practical and lasting resolutions that will, God willing, break the vicious cycle of drug abuse. This capacity building event represents a stride, small though it may seem, in the proper direction.

“Since it is at the community level that the burden of the drug menace is most acutely felt, it is vital that stakeholders, including all of us gathered here today, address the different dimensions of the problem from a community-centred perspective. This gathering must strive for common ground, developing indigenous and pragmatic solutions that go beyond mere statistics and harrowing headlines, addressing instead the real and harrowing human toll of drug abuse.”

He expressed confidence that the training will strengthen capacities, harness community resources, and unlock the potential needed to formulate and implement evidence-based interventions that will salvage and rejuvenate every segment of beleaguered communities. “Let us, as frontliners, ever remember: the cost of inaction is infinitely higher than the cost of collective action. Your Excellencies, your roles as mothers, changemakers, and drivers of the State Drug Control Committees (SDCC) place upon you a sacred trust—a responsibility not to be borne lightly. Through your ingenuity, your states may yet emerge as shining examples, immortalised in gold as bastions of hope that defied the tides of darkness.

“The SDCCs remain a potent platform for fostering multisectoral collaboration in the crucial task of drug demand reduction at the state level. I must fervently implore you to ensure the establishment, strengthening, and revitalisation of these Committees across your respective states. Let us always remember that the value of these training events lies not in the richness of their content alone, but in the continued motion and effectiveness of the SDCCs—moving resolutely towards our collective aspiration of a drug-free, resilient Nigeria”, he added.
Also speaking at the workshop, UNODC Country Rep Cheikh Ousmane Toure stated that “If the root of this crisis lies in our neighborhoods, schools, and homes, then the solution must too. The National Drug Control Master Plan and the WADA initiative remind us of that national framework alone cannot heal fractured communities. Lasting change begins when states and local governments own this fight.”

He reminded the first ladies that their influence transcends politics, adding that “you are the custodian of trust in your states. When you speak, community listens. When you act, local governments follow. Today, I urge us to channel this unique power into three pillars of action.

Number one, state-led resource mobilization. Every state must prioritize dedicated budget for prevention and treatment. This means establishing a state-specific drug control task force to align with NDLEA’s national efforts, allocating local government funds to build community drop-in centres, safe space for counseling, and care within walking distance of those in need.”

The UNODC chief stated further that states must adopt evidence-based programmes to their cultural contexts, and decentralize treatment access. The head of ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah spoke in same light in his goodwill message, urging state governments to invest in prevention and treatment efforts at the state and community-levels.

Experts who served as resource persons during the technical session of the workshop include: Dr. Martins Agwogie, Prof. Akintunde Oyedokun, Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, Dr. Abubakar Salami, Dr. Kunle Adeshina and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike.