Suicide bombers Use Tramadol – NAFDAC

•Oyo to Support agency on the drug war

National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday revealed the banned drug, Tramadol, is often found in the remains of persons used by the Boko Haram sect as suicide bombers.

The agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known when she led other top management officials of the agency from the Southwest on a courtesy visit to Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, in his office.

The NAFDAC boss told the governor that the barring of the agency from the nation’s ports for seven years worsened the problem caused by the importation of illicit drugs into the country.

She said it was in the course of assessing the damage done to the society by illicit drugs such as Tramadol and Codeine within the seven-years NAFDAC was out of the ports that it was discovered that persons sent on a suicide mission by Boko Haram were usually heavily drugged with Tramadol.

Mrs. Adeyeye lamented that the agency was still battling with addressing the damage done to the country by its seven-year ban from the ports before she assumed office as the NAFDAC director-general.

The NAFDAC boss said: “We have had a lot of problems that predated me and one of the problems is that NAFDAC was removed from the ports for seven years (2011-2018) and the damage that was done during the seven years, we are still mopping the damage, as we speak.

I never knew that I would come home and start battling tramadol, codeine, that have destroyed so many young lives and I have often told people that Nigeria cannot be greater than her youths.

“So, I take this very personally and for the first five months I was running to ensure we returned to the ports and the NSA office came to help us because we found out that even our children the Boko Haram sent on a suicide mission, that their remains contain tramadol.

So, it is not about destroying the future alone, it is terrorism. It is the destabilization of the community. But we are able to go back into the ports.”

She also used the opportunity to solicit the support of the government and other state governments across the country for assistance in terms of facilities, operational offices, structures, and operational vehicles, among others.

Responding, Governor Makinde charged NAFDAC to brace for the pressure that would follow the opening of the dry port located in the state.

He also promised the agency adequate support that would help her to achieve her objective of taming the flow of illicit foods and drugs in the state.

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“Because health is one of the pillars on which this administration is resting, NAFDAC will definitely be our partner in progress. It is good that you are back to the ports,” Makinde said.

“In Oyo state, I am sure, within a year or two, we will have our own dry port here. So, it is in our own interest and NAFDAC interest that we plan for expansion in the scope of activities for the state office here because what we have told the people is that the headache at Apapa in Lagos should be sent to us here.

“If somebody is coming from the northern part of the country and he can pick his container here in Ibadan, why should he bother to drive to Lagos. They will pick it from here and make a turnaround and go back to the northern part of the country.

“I know a lot of people die because of fake medication; so I want to on behalf of the Government and the people of Oyo State tell you that you are welcome and we are ready to work hand-in-hand with you to improve the security of what we eat.”

The governor added: “Yes, you have asked for office space and vehicles, we will go back to see how and where we will give you support, especially the staff working in Oyo State.

We will look at the request; all I can say is that it is not above what we can accommodate.

“But it is important that we plan for the expansion that we are looking at and also, some good news for the people of Oyo State is that the standard gauge rail line has got to Ibadan.

So, we expect also that a lot of Lagos goers will see Ibadan as a hostel and because Ibadan used to be the intellectual capital of the continent and we hope to bring back the era in a way the people will be engaged intellectually and they will say Ibadan is a place to raise family, and all of that will put pressure on your state office and their infrastructure.

“So, we want you to work with us; we will also work with you, we will plan together. And this is one Federal agency that we know that if it functions very well, it can make a huge impact on our society and yes we know that you faced certain challenges in the past, but we have to be forward-looking.

We have to put things that happened in the past and we will do whatever we have to do to help you deliver on your mandate, moving forward, we are here to assist.”