THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has uncovered a plot to introduce a lethal synthetic opioid, Fentanyl, into the Nigerian market.

According to the NDLEA, Fentanyl is 100 times stronger than Tramadol.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, the agency warned that the illicitly manufactured substance is capable of causing mass destruction among the youth population being targeted by the drug cartels behind the plot.

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It added that the drug currently responsible for over 70 per cent of overdose deaths and a significant contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States is not allowed to circulate in Nigeria because of its lethality.

“We are not unaware of desperate efforts by some drug cartels to introduce to the Nigerian market Fentanyl, which according to the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is 80 times as potent as morphine and 100 times more potent than heroin.

“This, they plan to do either in liquid or powder form and/or with misleading labels to target our youth population. 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 experimenting 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.

The agency urged parents and other stakeholders to spread awareness among their loved ones.

The NDLEA also assured the public that all necessary assets have been deployed to monitor the cartels involved in the “latest threat to public health to frustrate their criminal plot and make them face the wrath of the law”.

Bankole ABE

Reporter at ICIR | [email protected] | Author Page

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