The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo Command, to intensified efforts to curb drug abuse by mobilising patent medicine vendors as critical frontline defenders against the growing menace.
The state Commander of the agency, Dr Mitchell Ofoyeju, during a one-day anti-drug abuse workshop in Benin, called for a strategic partnership to curb the menace.
The workshop was organised by the state chapter of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) for its Edo South members.
Ofoyeju said that the workshop, with the theme ”Patent Medicine Vendors as Frontline Defenders: Ensuring Safe Medicines, Preventing Drug Abuse”, sought to bridge regulatory gaps and strengthen community-level healthcare safeguards.
The NDLEA boss described the NAPPMED members as critical agents in the fight against substance abuse and urged them to adhere to ethical dispensing practices.
According to him, the engagement is both a strategic intervention and a direct call to responsibility.
”We must therefore unite to address the challenges of substance abuse and illicit drug trade. When prescription drugs, psychoactive substances, and codeine-based cough syrups fall into the wrong hands through unethical conduct, they fuel addiction, destroy families, and cripple the potential of our youth. The line between legitimate medicine and substance abuse is perilously thin, and NAPPMED members stand at that critical junction as gatekeepers.”
Ofoyeju also underscored the immense trust placed on patent medicine vendors by the public, noting that it came with a duty that went beyond dispensing drugs, to actively protecting communities from misuse and abuse.
He identified the diversion of prescription drugs, abuse of psychoactive substances, proliferation of codeine-based syrups, and a growing ”get-rich-quick” mindset as key drivers of unethical practices undermining public health.
The NDLEA commander said the workshop was designed to sharpen participants’ understanding of drug laws, strengthen their ability to detect abuse patterns, reinforce ethical standards, and position them as active partners in prevention and referral systems.
”We are not here to vilify but to collaborate. We recognise you as legitimate service providers. However, the NDLEA will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any erring member who violates the rules. Our goal is to empower you with knowledge to protect your businesses, your communities, and our collective future,” he said.
The commander noted that the initiative aligned with the mandate of the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, to intensify public education, strengthen supply chain monitoring, deepen stakeholder engagement, and enforce compliance.
Describing the initiative as a shift toward a community-driven drug control model, he said that leveraging the widespread presence of patent medicine vendors would strengthen intelligence gathering and early intervention at the grassroots.
He, however, commended NAPPMED for its cooperation and urged participants to engage actively, stressing that the effort was key to building ”a stronger defence system at the grassroots”.
He added that similar workshops would be extended to Edo Central and Edo North to broaden impact and sustain the crackdown on drug abuse.
In her remarks, the state president of NAPPMED, Mrs Victoria Omueti, described the workshop as timely and pledged the association’s continued collaboration with regulatory agencies.
”As healthcare providers regulated by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, we will continue to work with relevant stakeholders in the fight against drug abuse,” she said.
CAPTION: Some of the participants at the workshop
