The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, says the armed forces of Nigeria will not shield any military personnel found culpable of illicit drug abuse and trafficking.

Mr Musa gave the assurance when he visited the chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), on Monday in Abuja.

The CDS commended the NDLEA for the great turnaround in the war against drug abuse and trafficking, saying this has positively changed the negative perception of Nigeria in the international community.

He pledged the continued support of the armed forces to NDLEA in its renewed fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

According to him, the visit was to thank the agency for a job well done and pledge his total support.

“On our part, we will not shield anybody found guilty of drugs. We have made a number of arrests in the North-East, our checkpoints and all; we pick them up and prosecute them.

“Anyone found guilty of drugs must pay for it. We also try to do rehabilitation, and that is one aspect I will recommend to be taken seriously because some people unknowingly get into drugs because of peer pressure.

“Drug abuse must be tackled holistically because that is very important, but if we allow it to take over the country, we will all suffer for it.

“To convey to our troops that we are together and working as a team, if there are issues especially with the members of the armed forces, please don’t hesitate and let us know.

“We will take adequate action. We don’t want drugs in our system,’’ he said.

The CDS said that the agency’s efforts have also motivated the military to introduce drug tests as a requirement for training and promotion in the armed forces.

He said that the nexus between drug abuse and insecurity was real, adding that if the nation were able to curb the scourge of substance abuse, the current security challenges would be drastically reduced.

Mr Musa promised to consider the suggestion by the NDLEA boss for the military to have its own central rehabilitation centre.

“Drug use has slipped into so many places, and for members of the Armed Forces, we’re not excluded.

“Now we have introduced as part of our recruitment processes and for our people to go for courses, they must take a drug test.

“This will ensure that personnel of the Armed Forces are doing the right thing and are in the right frame of mind; we’ll continue to do that and continue to intensify our efforts,’’ he said.

Responding, the NDLEA chairman commended the Nigerian armed forces under the leadership of the CDS for their loyalty, sacrifices and hard work towards keeping the country safe.

Mr Marwa also appreciated the military for supporting the Agency in terms of logistics and training.

He harped on the significance of the partnership between the military and the NDLEA, saying that substance abuse was at the root of crimes and criminalities in the country.

“The criminal elements rely on drugs to carry out their criminalities, and that is why we have been very ferocious in our offensive action against them to cut access and availability of these illicit drugs,’’ he said.

(NAN)