Alhaji Adamu Yunusa the Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Council of Chiefs Abuja and Ona of Abaji has supported drug integrity testing for intended couples.

In order to be eligible for holy matrimony, the policy requires that all couples present a certificate proving their fitness.

In a Friday statement, Femi Babafemi (Director, Media & Advocacy), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency stated that the monarch gave the directive when Brig., the Chairman/Chief executive of the NDLEA was in Abaji. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, retd, paid him a War Against Drug Abuse and advocacy visit.

Marwa congratulated the monarch on his 25th anniversary as a king and for preserving the culture and tradition of his kingdom in his remarks.

According to reports, he also thanked the royal father for his support of the agency in fighting drug abuse and illegal 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.

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That is important. Because I believe no one in his right senses will batter a woman he claims to love so hard to the point of death.