12th NATIONAL TRAVEL ESSAY COMPETITION (NTEC, 2023).

Curbing the rising trend of illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.

Name: Merciful Nwafor
Department: 500L Medical Laboratory Sciences
School: University Of Nigeria Enugu Campus (UNEC).

1.0 Introduction
“Nigerian politician found in possession of four pounds of cocaine claims he needs pro
ceeds for his campaign.” (BBC, 2010).
“NDLEA nabs pregnant woman, cripple, female undergraduate, others over illicit drug
trafficking” (The Guardian News, 2023).
“How Drug Abuse Is Wrecking Female Lives in Northern Nigeria” (Sahara Reporters,
2022)
“793 Suspects arrested with over 13,000kg of illicit drugs in Nigeria’s capital territory
in one year .” (Sahara Reporters, 2022)

As wrinkles are to the face of an old man, so have these types of headlines become a common
feature in Nigerian newspapers. Indeed, in a timeframe of just over a year, the
Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported that 18,940 drug trafficking suspects
were arrested and about 5.4 million kg of illicit drugs were confiscated (Ailemen, 2022). Quite
distinct from general trafficking acts, drug trafficking - according to the
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is
a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, transportation, distribution, and sale of
illegitimate psychotropic substances. Some of these drug substances include cocaine, marijuana,
crystal methamphetamine, heroin, cannabis, fentanyl, rophynol and diazepam. The large number of
arrests and seized products reported is an indicator of the pervasiveness of the drug problem in
Nigeria. One question too many is: does Nigeria have a drug problem?
2.0 Assessing the rising trend of illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
The drug trafficking business is estimated to be worth billions of dollars annually, thus making it one
of the most profitable forms of organized crime in the world. In Nigeria, drug trafficking has been on
a geometric increase with unprecedented rise in cases of arrests and seizures.. According to available
data, approximately 700kg (refer to table 1.0) was the average amount of cocaine recovered annually
prior to 2013 (Brown, 2013) as compared to the 3.6 million kg intercepted between 2021 and 2022
(Ailemen, 2022).
The genesis of this problem can be traced back to the end of Second World War when soldiers
returned from Asia bringing with them seeds of Cannabis sativa which they cultivated across the
nation. Since then, the situation has grown from bad to worse (Nwannennaya & Abiodun, 2017).
Gradually, Nigeria has deteriorated from being a minor trafficking route to a major transit country
and - most recently - now to a miniature production hub as several clandestine laboratories have been
busted around the country (Adesomoju, 2022). Drug barons from Latin American countries like
Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and others are notorious for masterminding this nefarious act in
West Africa and as a consequence, the rot has continued to spread. One of the reasons for the drug
crisis has been attributed to the geographical position of West Africa as a strategic point between
production hub in South America and lucrative markets in Europe and Asia. However, Dan Brown
(2013) argues that the menace is due to the country’s permeable borders (air, sea, and land), gross
corruption, mediocre government, and inadequate funding of anti-drug bodies. In the same vein,
James Cockayne (2011) believes the ‘drug problem’ is because of weak financial and judicial
systems. Furthermore, the intoxication of young people with an insatiable desire to accumulate
wealth, unemployment, poverty, lack of faith in the dignity of labour, and societal pressure are some
other inherent contributory factors to the drug problem.

3.0 Effects of Drug trafficking in the society

The deadly tentacles of drug trafficking are far-reaching. Its devastating effects on individuals,
communities, nations, and the globe are profound and inter-generational. One of the most recognized
effects is drug abuse/addiction. The availability and use of drugs without medical prescription or
supervision no doubt leads to abuse which in turn leads to various kinds of physical, medical and
psychological problems.
Drug addiction and increase in crime rates are a Siamese twin. As a result of the high cost of the
severely addictive drugs, drug addicts in many situations have had to resort to crimes like theft,
robbery, and assault, in order to fund their addiction. More so, due to their deteriorated mental health
addicts are prone to commit violent crimes.
Additionally, money laundering, human trafficking, and terrorism, are one of the many other crimes
that are associated with drug trafficking. Economically, the influx of the illicit wealth damages the
economic stability of the society. The illicit wealth is then often diverted to sponsor criminal
activities, corruption, and violence.
Drug dealing offers no merit except a catalogue of woes. For any society where wanton drug-use is
prevalent, its common indices are moral decadence, psychological catastrophes, proliferation of
criminals and terrorism, insecurity, over-crowded prisons, anarchy, destruction of lives and properties,
low standard of living, economic freefall and a putrid national reputation, amongst others.

4.0 The aviation industry as a front-liner in combating drug trafficking.

Often, drug traffickers would use any practical means of movement in their desperate quest for illegal
gains. Air travels, over the years, have been found to be their favourite option, due to its cost-
effectiveness and timeliness over the land and sea modes of transportation. They could go any length.
From concealing drugs in edibles, art works, baby diapers, or cosmetics, to hiding them inside
aeroplane panels so as to retrieve them later with the assistance of gullible cleaners and airport
personnel (Mason, 2022). Other drug traffickers go as far as swallowing little packages of narcotics to
egest them at a predetermined time; in more advanced settings, they use small-sized, low-flying
aircraft and land on private airstrips.
Considering their antics, it is important to pay great attention to the aviation sector which possesses
huge potentials for a country’s sustainability. In addition to providing over 245 thousand jobs for
citizens of Nigeria, the country’s aviation sector also made a staggering N185 billion contribution to
the Nigerian economy in 2016 (Sylva & Amah, 2021). In fact, at the end of 2019, the aviation sector
had the fastest increase in the transportation sub-sector, contributing 0.14% to the Nigerian GDP.
With all these resources at their disposal, players in the aviation industry have a significant input to
make in sustaining the heat on drug users by proactively
protecting the air space, synergising with other law enforcement agencies in intelligence missions,
co-operating with other airport networks in Nigeria and Africa, archiving necessary data useful in
outsmarting witty criminals.
The recent procurement of the primary 3D radar (RPA-200MC) by the ministry of aviation headed by
His excellency, Hadi Sirika, from the Argentinian company, INVAP is a classic example. This
commendable act would not only solve the long-standing issue of short range radars but also clear the
doubts about the integrity of territorial airspace in Nigeria as Mr. Sirika was reported saying
“the radar will ensure that both friendly and hostile aircrafts in Nigerian airspace is promptly
detected." - (Okafor, 2023).
5.0 Recommendations that can salvage the situation.
The effects of drug use and the impact of illicit drug trafficking on the socio-economic wellbeing of a
country cannot be underestimated. The following recommendations are suggested to deal with the
menace.
5.1 Dealing with the problem of corruption: Fighting drug trafficking without tackling corruption is
like nurturing a broiler chicken generously and expecting it not to grow fat for it is when those greedy
hands of corruption in both public and private institutions are starved of fat envelopes and undue
gains can we truly make a headway.
5.2 Reducing the unemployment rate through skill empowerment and agricultural extension.
5.3 Auditing the funds for political campaign sponsorship of party flag bearers.
5.4 Pragmatic education: Ignorance has been marked as one of the factors encouraging drug
use/trafficking among Nigerians; and just as there are different levels to it, there are also diverse
modes of education viz: increased sensitisation in local communities and schools, more educative
contests such as the National Travel Essay Competition (NTEC), campaigns by NGOs, edutainment
by movie producers, musicians and other entertainers, religious institutions too are not left out in the
advocacy.
5.5 Technological overhaul: Law enforcement agencies like the NDLEA, I C P C NAFDAC and
EFCC deserve to be equipped with state-of-the-art machineries and innovative surveillance systems
for greater efficiency..
5.6 Rehabilitation/Empowerment for apprehended addicts/convicts: The story of one Mr. Mmadukolu
Charles, an ex-convict who served a 7-year prison sentence in Ethiopia but was re-arrested on
September 16, 2022, at MMIA for cocaine importation serves us a great lesson that former convicts
require a great deal of support to re-integrate into the societal structure (Story Culled from Sahara
reporters, 2022).

Conclusion
To draw the conclusion of this essay, I believe the wise words of Pope Francis should suffice: “The
scourge of drug trafficking, that favours violence and sows the seed of suffering and death, requires of
society as a whole an act of courage.” In essence, if drug trafficking is viewed as merely a war, then
only the soldiers would have the responsibility to fight; however if it is viewed with the urgency of a
pandemic, then everyone (that is, the citizens, the government, the airport authorities and the agencies
designated) can participate in this struggle to preserve posterity and protect the Nigerian future.

REFERENCES
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