The Ona of Abaji and Chairman, Federal Capital Territory Council of Chiefs, Abuja, Alhaji Adamu Yunusa, has backed drug integrity tests for intending couples.
According to The Punch, it is a policy enacted for intending couples to present a certificate of fitness before they are joined in holy matrimony.
This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the Director, Media & Advocacy, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr Femi Babafemi, who said the monarch gave the order to the Chief Imam of Abaji and his Council of Chiefs when he was visited by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd).
Accoding to the statement, Marwa hailed the monarch on his 25th anniversary on the throne and also saluted him for upholding the tradition and culture of his kingdom.
Marwa also complimented the royal father for his resolute support for the agency in its fight against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
Marwa said, “The traditional institution is an important stakeholder because the traditional institution exists across every part of our society; all the way to the grass-roots. It is, for this reason, we would like to appeal to His Royal Highness who already has been in the forefront of tackling drug abuse to continue and intensify these efforts to set up a WADA committee in Abaji kingdom that will report directly to him and down to the small communities. In the small communities, you all know those selling drugs and those families and youths that need help.
“I would like to also appeal that due to increasing cases of women suffering from domestic violence fuelled by drug abuse by their husbands and vice-versa, that we embrace drug tests for intending couples the same way they do HIV/AIDS and genotype tests even though there are no laws making that compulsory. This is why we say both husband and wife should also show drug free certificate before being joined and if any of them tests positive, he or she can be taken for treatment before the wedding is done to avoid unpleasant incidents that we see in recent times.”
Responding, the monarch was quoted to have said prior to Marwa’s assumption of office, drug menace in Nigeria had become a huge problem affecting young men and women including couples who were supposed to be enjoying their marital lives.
Besides, the monarch conferred on Marwa the chieftaincy title of Santuraki of Abaji Kingdom.