Office of the Focal Person on Drugs Abuse Control

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The Yobe State Government has intensified efforts to curb the rising drug abuse crisis with moves to establish a dedicated Drug Abuse Control Agency, aimed at strengthening prevention, treatment and rehabilitation across the state.
The initiative follows growing concern over the high cases of drug abuse, drug-related crimes, high cost of rehabilitation and the lack of functional treatment centres within Yobe.
Speaking to journalists in Damaturu, the State Focal Person on Drug Abuse Control, Malam Hassan Jakusko, said the proposed agency would provide the legal and institutional framework needed to confront the drug abuse menace in a coordinated and sustainable manner.
According to him, Governor Mai Mala Buni has consistently identified drug abuse as a major social and security threat and has backed the establishment of the agency as a critical intervention to protect youths and restore social stability.
The governor recently reiterated this commitment at the Machina Annual Cultural Festival 2026, warning that substance abuse is increasingly becoming socially tolerated if left unchecked.
Jakusko explained that a bill to establish the Drug Abuse Control Agency is currently before the Yobe State House of Assembly and, when passed, will pave the way for the creation of local rehabilitation centres, community-based prevention programmes and improved access to affordable treatment.
He disclosed that the agency is expected to work closely with the State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency and other relevant bodies to integrate drug treatment into the state’s health system, thereby reducing dependence on out-of-state facilities.
According to him, statistics from the state indicate that over 609 confirmed drug users urgently require rehabilitation, while more than 1,000 others need structured intervention, with drug abuse contributing to rising crime and social dislocation across the state’s 17 local government areas.
Jakusko called on lawmakers to fast-track the bill, describing the establishment of the agency as a state emergency, and expressed confidence that its passage would mark a major milestone in the Yobe State Government’s resolve to decisively tackle drug abuse and safeguard the future of its youth.
“Currently, patients are referred to the Maiduguri Psychiatry Hospital in Borno State for a minimum six-month programme costing over ₦600,000 per person, a burden many households cannot afford.” Mallam Saidu said.
He commended members of the Yobe State House of Assembly and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Yobe State, Barrister Sale Samanja for thier tireless efforts in tackling the menace of drug abuse in the state.

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Malam Hassan Jakusko, the Focal Person on Drug Abuse Control in Yobe, made this known in interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu.
He said partly due to, the high cost of medication and rehabilitation, families are struggling to afford the care needed to help loved ones, with many reports indicating that up to 80 per vent of drug users in Nigeria lack access to essential treatment.
”Families are bearing unbearable financial and emotional burdens due to the absence of rehabilitation facilities in the state.
”Patients are often referred to the Maiduguri Psychiatry Hospital at costs exceeding N100,000 monthly for treatment lasting at least six months.
”Many families can not afford such expenses, resulting in untreated addiction, relapse and worsening mental health conditions among affected youths,” he said.
Jakusko said Yobe has one of the highest rates of drug abuse in the North-East, with substance use increasingly conducted openly and becoming socially a normal thing.
He said that the crisis was directly linked to rising crime, mental health disorders and social instability, particularly among young people across the 17 local government areas.
Jakusko said records from his office showed over 609 confirmed drug abusers requiring immediate rehabilitation, while nearly 1,000 others needed structured six-month treatment programmes statewide.
He noted that although the state government had shown commitment, the absence of a legally backed and funded agency had left interventions fragmented and unsustainable.
The focal person said Gov. Mai Mala Buni had consistently raised concerns over drug abuse at meetings with stakeholders, traditional rulers and security agencies, including recently at the Machina Annual Cultural Festival 2026.
He said the governor had established a Committee on Drug Control chaired by the Attorney-General, as well as the Office of the Focal Person on Drug Abuse Control.
Jakusko added that the state government had prepared a bill to establish a dedicated Drug Abuse Control Agency, now ready for legislative enactment.
He said key stakeholders met at the Yobe House of Assembly on Jan. 7, to deliberate on the bill and chart pathways for the agency’s establishment.
The meeting involved chairmen of the House committees on Health, Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency and Yobe State Drugs Management Agency, alongside relevant officials.
Jakusko expressed optimism that the proposed agency and rehabilitation centre would ease the burden on families and offer structured recovery pathways for victims of drug abuse across the state.
He called on the members of state assembly among other stakeholders to expedite action towards establishing the agency and rehabilitation centre.