The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has discovered preparations by some dishonest individuals to flood the Nigerian market with the deadly synthetic opioid Fentanyl, which is “100 times stronger than Tramadol and heroin.”
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, issued a statement on Tuesday warning that the illegally produced substance could result in a large number of casualties among the youth demographic that the cartels are targeting.
The drug must not be allowed to circulate in Nigeria due to its lethality and the country’s current 14.4% drug abuse prevalence, according to the anti-narcotics agency. It is currently responsible for over 70% of overdose deaths and is a significant cause of both fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.
The NDLEA spokesman said, “We are not unaware of desperate efforts by some drug cartels to introduce to the Nigerian market, Fentanyl, which according to the CDC, is 80 times as potent as morphine and 100 times more potent than h£roin. This, they plan to do either in liquid or powder form and/or with misleading labels to target our youth population.
“This, they may also mix with other prescription drugs. The illegally manufactured fentanyl in its liquid form can come in nasal sprays, eye drops, or small candies.
“As a result, parents and other stakeholders are advised to be vigilant, alert and warn their young ones against attempting to experiment with this illicit substance. Symptoms for fentanyl exposure and/or overdose include pinpoint pupils, falling asleep or losing consciousness, slow and shallow breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, limp body, and pale, blue, or cold skin,” the NDLEA stated.
In order to foil the cartels’ illegal scheme and force them to face the wrath of the law, the agency then gave the public the assurance that all necessary resources had been deployed to monitor the cartels implicated in this most recent threat to public health.
