The National Association of Nigerian Students has asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to begin its planned drug testing with politicians and public office holders.
NANS made this call on Thursday, April 24, in a statement signed by its Vice President for Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Akinbodunse Felicia.
She was reacting to NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), who again pushed for mandatory drug tests for NYSC members, couples planning to marry, and other young people. Marwa made the comments during a visit by the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja.
According to Marwa, the drug tests are not meant to punish anyone, but to detect drug use early and help people get treatment before they become addicted or face serious health issues.
However, NANS warned that the tests must not only target young Nigerians.
“The proposed drug test is a good step, but it must not focus only on young people,” Akinbodunse said. “If we want to build a society free from drugs, we must also check those in power — the ones who make and enforce the laws.”
She added that some public office holders have been linked to drug-related issues in the past. She insisted that leaders should be held to the same, or even higher, standards as the youth.
“It’s not fair for young people to face these tests before NYSC or marriage, while political leaders are not checked. Everyone should be treated equally,” she said.
NANS called on the NDLEA to work with the National Assembly to pass a law that will make drug testing compulsory for all politicians and public officials, both at state and federal levels.
“A clean and drug-free leadership will boost public trust and show that no one is above the law,” she added.
The student body said it supports all genuine efforts to fight drug abuse, but warned that such actions must be fair and apply to all Nigerians, regardless of their status.
