A lawmaker says Mexican drug barons have set up meth factories in Nigeria.
The House of Representatives has told the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to embark on ‘explosive and ferocious’ raids on methamphetamine production laboratories in Nigeria.
The lower chamber also directed the federal government to develop a national policy to combat meth and other narcotics across the country.
These resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Henry Nwawuba (APC, Imo) on Thursday during the plenary.
Mr Nwawuba in his motion raised the alarm of the scourge in some South-east states. He said over 70 per cent of the users are suffering from the adverse effect of the drugs.
He alleged that Mexican drug barons set up production labs in some states in Nigeria, hence, access to the products has been seamless.
The lawmaker noted that meth, which is referred to as Mkpuru Mmiri in Igbo language, has consequences on mental health.
“There is a video on social media, where a user beheaded a human being. Some communities have resorted to public flogging to cure the youths and shame them,” he stated.
Speaking on the motion, Lynda Ikpeazu (PDP, Anambra) said the consequences of meth would be dire in the next 10years.
According to the lawmaker, NDLEA agents have failed to arrest meth dealers despite operating in the open. She stated that even 11years old children are also using meths in her constituency.
“It does sound like a joke, but it is actually very serious and killing a lot of people. In the next 10 years, if we don’t stop it, we are going to have a zombie society. In my constituency, you will see 11years old person taking meth. What kind of future are we expecting these youths to have? We are going to have a doped up society, a Zombie society. That is not good,” she said.
The deputy minority leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), while supporting the motion, frowned on public flogging of addicts. Rather, the government should focus on rehabilitation and arrest of dealers, he said.
Also, Jonathan Gaza (APC, Nasarawa), in his contribution, said the National Orientation Agency (NOA) should be at the forefront of public enlightenment.
The lawmaker said the NDLEA cannot do the work alone.
Others who spoke on the motion include Shehu Kakale (APC, Sokoto), Abubakar Namdas (APC, Adamawa), Tajudeen Yusuf (PDP, Kogi) and Ifeanyi Momoh (PDP, Anambra).
Crystal meth
Methamphetamine is a central nervous system stimulant used as a recreational drug.
In 2016, officials of the NDLEA burst a meth lab in Asaba, the capital of Delta State. Four Mexicans were arrested at this lab during the raid.
Also, in 2018, a raid on a lab in Obinagwu in Ebonyi State uncovered another major meth production point in Nigeria.
Recently, the discourse into the meth scourge increased following a viral video showing flogging of addicts by community members.