To check the menace of drug abuse and its effects, there is need for a state of emergency in the health sector in Nigeria.

According to rights activist, Doctor Joe Okei-Odumakin, there was an urgent need to declare a state of emergency in the health sector, as there was need for more hands to deal with the menace of drug abuse and human trafficking in the society.

Okei-Odumakin, who is President of Women Arise made the call in Lagos at an event organised by the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, CRAN, to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, themed ‘Drugs are Addictive; Escaping is Hard, Don’t Start’.

According to her, drug abuse was an abnormal use of drug and too much of everything was bad, said there was a nexus between drug abuse and human trafficking, as the recruitment was sometimes through drug use, saying they use the drug either to cope, control or as a reward.

She said to overcome drug abuse and human trafficking, one needs to deal with the triggers which sometimes come in form of boredom, depression, loneliness, anger, rejection, anxiety and stress.

Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede, who spoke through a Controller of Immigration, Helen Onwuzuwike, said it had been observed that more people were going into drugs, which breeds crime in the society.

Babandede said it also leads to suicide, which was happening at high rate in the society, saying adult and even children were not left out, which should be curtailed.

He said Federal Government was working toward making the border more secure to control illegal movement of persons, especially those involved in human trafficking.

CRAN President, Sunday Odita, said the event was a seed the association sowed to stop the menace of drug abuse for about four years now, the group deemed it fit to kick start the campaign to enlighten people being deceived into drugs and human trafficking.

Odita said the challenge reporters have in reporting cases of drug abuse and human trafficking was that victims shy away from sharing their stories because of the stigma.

He urged the public to speak up whenever they find themselves in situations like this, stressing that it was cheaper to prevent than having to cure the addiction.

NAPTIP Lagos Zonal Commander, Daniel Otukolo, emphasised the need for all security agencies to embrace partnership in tackling the menace of drug abuse and human trafficking.

Otukolo who spoke through Comfort Sanni said the media and the public were not left behind, as it was a menace to be tackled by all.

The seminar attracted representatives of the Nigerian Immigration, Army, religious groups, NAPTIP, NGOs and the entertainment industry.