Mrs Oluwatoyin Odeku, Leader of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse, South-West, said 22.4 per cent of drug abuse cases in Nigeria happened in the South-west.
Odeku disclosed this at a press conference in Akure, Ondo State on Friday.
She said the figure was in line with the official statistics released by the UN in its fact-finding mission in the region to curb drug abuse in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 10, 2018 inaugurated the committee chaired by Maj.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd).
Odeku said that similar programme has been carried out simultaneously in all the geopolitical zones of the country, adding that drug abuse had become a menace that must be curbed.
“This calls for urgent action. It cannot be a federal government fight alone; we must take it to the local government level and to our religious stakeholders.
“It is not something we can joke with, drug abuse is always leading to crimes. We call on all stakeholders to cooperate with us to tackle it.
“Drug abuse, in most cases, usually start with curiosity, peer pressure and other unidentified reasons.
“Buhari has the best interest of youths in mind, the ministerial committee was first inaugurated before the presidential advisory committee to deal with the menace,” she said.
Odeku, also advised the Ondo State government to create more rehabilitation centres for those willing to quit drugs and get rehabilitated.
She called on religious leaders to join hands in the fight against drug abuse and in helping to create rehabilitation centres.