The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Zone 5 Command, covering Kano and Jigawa States, has honoured the Chairman of the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji, as an Ambassador of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA).
The recognition was conferred on Thursday, when the Zonal Commander of NDLEA Zone 5, ACGN Mohamed Ajiya, led members of the command’s management team on a courtesy visit to the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force.
The honour recognises Magaji’s efforts in promoting inter-agency collaboration, public awareness, community mobilisation and coordinated action against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the state.
The NDLEA described the recognition as not only an honour but also a renewed call for greater responsibility, advocacy and action in protecting communities, particularly young people, from the harmful effects of drug abuse.
Responding, Magaji expressed appreciation to the NDLEA, describing the recognition as both an honour and a greater responsibility to intensify efforts against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
He stressed that no single agency, institution or individual could win the war against drug abuse alone, noting that the scale and complexity of the problem required a united front involving government institutions, law enforcement agencies, families, communities, traditional and religious leaders, schools, civil society organisations and the media.
“The fight against drug abuse is not the responsibility of law enforcement agencies alone. It is a collective responsibility. Every parent, every community leader, every teacher, every religious and traditional leader, every institution and every citizen has a role to play.
“We must all stand together because the future we are trying to protect belongs to all of us,” he said.
Magaji called for greater emphasis on prevention, early intervention, sustained sensitisation and community-based initiatives to discourage young people from engaging in drug-related activities.
He said stronger collaboration among relevant agencies would improve information sharing, coordination and the impact of interventions aimed at tackling drug abuse and illicit trafficking.
The Chairman assured that the Task Force would continue to deepen its partnership with the NDLEA and other stakeholders to develop a more coordinated and comprehensive response to the drug problem.
He also linked the campaign to the broader development agenda of the Kano State Government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, stressing that protecting young people from the consequences of drug abuse was essential to building a safe, healthy and productive society.
He urged stakeholders to regard the fight against drug abuse as a shared community and national responsibility, warning against leaving the burden solely on security and law enforcement agencies.
Magaji said his emergence as a WADA Ambassador would serve as a renewed mandate to mobilise more individuals, institutions and communities into the campaign for a drug-free Kano State.