NDLEA and ECAPI launch anti-drug campaign in Lagos to curb youth drug abuse, strengthen advocacy, and recover criminal assets

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Strategic Command, has partnered with the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPI) to launch a large-scale anti-drug advocacy campaign targeting rising drug abuse, particularly among youths.

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The outreach, which commenced from Maryland on Saturday, covered drug-prone areas including Maryland, Mushin, Oshodi, Ojuelegba, Costain, and Lagos Island.

NDLEA personnel and ECAPI volunteers engaged residents, youths, and suspected users in sensitisation drives conducted in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and English.

Lagos State NDLEA Commander, Abubakar Liman Wali, said the campaign represents a shift towards stronger prevention, advocacy, and community reorientation.

“This road walk is not just symbolic; it is a statement of our collective resolve against drug abuse and trafficking. Drugs destroy lives, families, and the future of our youths, and we must confront this menace directly,” he said.

Abubakar Liman Wali added that the agency now focuses on asset recovery in addition to arrests and prosecutions, with confiscated monies, houses, hotels, and other properties returned to government coffers.

He emphasised that partnerships with ECAPI and other stakeholders are key to sustaining impact.

ECAPI founder, Ambassador Sam Eniola Adams, said the campaign aims to remove drugs from the streets and safeguard young people’s futures. “Drugs are destroying lives, health, dreams, and the economy.

We are declaring zero tolerance for cartels, peddlers, and buyers,” he said, announcing plans to extend the campaign nationwide across all 36 states and the FCT.

Alhaji Ahmed Haruna Barja, Sarki Hausa Overall of Alimosho Local Government Area, pledged the support of traditional institutions, noting: “Drugs will destroy our youths. We will take this message to our communities through our traditional rulers.”

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A highlight of the outreach was the presentation of an award to Commander Wali in recognition of his leadership, achievements in arrests, seizures, and prosecutions, and dedication to fighting illicit drug trafficking in Lagos State.