‘I need Igbo and Shayo’ – NDLEA Boss Calls out Burna Boy for promoting drug abuse in song

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has called out Nigerian singer Burna boy for promoting drug abuse in his song; Last Last.

The chairman made this known at the 2nd edition of the Vanguard Mental Health Summit held in Lagos on Thursday where he was represented by Dr. Segun Oke.

He noted that drug abuse was rampant amongst the youths but had also been encouraged by Nigerian musicians like Burna Boy and Adekunle Gold who had flooded the mainstream with lyrics that glorified substance abuse.

According to Marwa, drug abuse is a ‘serious’ problem in the country, revealing that 10.6 million Nigerians abuse cannabis.

He stated that the agency has continued to put measures in place to curb the abuse of drugs and substances in the country.

His words:

“The “high syndrome” is so entrenched among young people it has become a sort of self-prescription therapy for dealing with some of life’s issues. For some, it is the grand idea of leisure. It is a buzzword in their everyday life and a motif in popular music. Offhand, I can give you three quick examples of hit songs that glorify the abuse of psychoactive substances in the name of “getting high”.
‘I just want to be high’, ‘I need Igbo and Shayo’,

‘Sometimes food no dey give man joy, but Canadian loud, the feeling is different! These street anthems motivate young people to abuse alcohol, cannabis and other illicit substances. It is now commonplace for young people to organise cannabis parties”