Agency raises concern over drug addiction among girls, married women in Katsina state

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Katsina State, has expressed concern over the high rate of drug addiction among young girls and married women in the state.

Hajiya Maryman Sani, the state commandant of agency, made the statement on Thursday in Katsina in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

"Several of these young girls take narcotics and cough syrup with codeine.”

"Some married women due to the influence of bad friends have also become drug addicts,” she said.

Sani said that drug addiction was exposing the young girls and married women to high risk behaviour.

She said that as future mothers, young girls should be assisted to drop the habit.

The commandant told NAN that some parents had approached the agency to rehabilitate their children and wards in its rehabilitation centre.

She said that inadequate space to rehabilitate drug addicts was one of the challenges facing the agency.

She appealed to Katsina State Government to construct standard rehabilitation centre in the state to cater for drug addicts.

Sani also appealed to the government to provide vehicles and other logistics for effective routine patrols to curb the menace of drug peddling in the state.