Why we want drug integrity test for corps members, prospective couples — NDLEA

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, has advocated drug integrity tests for corps members, prospective couples, and others aimed at discouraging substance abuse.

Marwa said the proposed integrity tests were not meant as punitive but preventive measures aimed at discouraging substance abuse.

He said the initiative was also intended to provide early intervention and treatment for individuals “who test positive before their condition deteriorates into drug dependence and other health complications.”

Marwa made this known during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu, who paid a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
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Suicide bomber kills 22 during church service, wounds 63 others

At least 22 people have been killed and 63 others wounded in a suicide bomb attack at a church in Damascus, Syria's health ministry has said.

A man opened fire with a weapon at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Prophet Elias in the Dweila neighbourhood during a service on Sunday evening before detonating an explosive vest, according to the interior ministry.

It said the attacker was affiliated with the jihadist group Islamic State (IS). There was no immediate claim from the group itself.

Photos and video from inside the church showed a heavily damaged altar, pews covered in broken glass and blood spattered across the walls.

Witness Lawrence Maamari told AFP news agency that "someone entered [the church] from outside carrying a weapon" and began shooting. People "tried to stop him before he blew himself up", he added.

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Kidnap kingpin going for Hajj arrested at airport

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), on Monday, intercepted a suspected kidnap kingpin identified as Sani Galadi at Sultan Abubakar International Airport, Sokoto.

It was learnt that Galadi, who was arrested at about 11:15am at the airport during a screening exercise for pilgrims, was trailed by the intelligence officers and finally arrested at the Hajj terminal.

Galadi’s arrest came less 24 hours after a wanted kidnap kingpin was also arrested at the hajj camp in Abuja while en route to Saudi Arabia.

Security agencies had earlier declared Abuja kingpin wanted following his alleged involvement in some kidnappings within Kogi and Abuja.

Confirming Sokoto’s arrest to our correspondent, a highly-placed source within security agencies said the intelligence officers were on a covert operations to rid the country of heinous crimes and criminalities.

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President Trump announced plans to sign an executive order aimed at reducing U.S. drug prices by implementing a "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) policy. This policy would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, tying U.S. prices to the lowest prices paid by other countries. ⁠
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The order is set to focus on Medicare Part B drugs, which include medications administered in a doctor's office, such as cancer treatments. Trump claims the policy could reduce costs by 30% to 80% and save the U.S. "TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS."⁠
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This latest order is a continuation of Trump's efforts from his first term to address the high cost of U.S. drugs via price controls. In 2020, he signed a similar executive order aimed at tying U.S. drug prices to international benchmarks, but the proposal faced significant opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. Critics argued that such a policy would harm innovation and reduce access to new medications. Trump's 2020 attempt was blocked by a federal court after he left office, preventing its implementation under President Biden. ⁠
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The MFN policy is likely to face similar resistance from the pharmaceutical industry, which argues that forcing lower prices could stifle innovation, leading to fewer new medicines and potentially harming the U.S.'s role as a global leader in drug development. ⁠
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Pharmaceutical companies contend that the policy would grant foreign governments excessive influence over U.S. drug pricing, undermining the ability of the U.S. market to set fair and competitive prices. Despite this opposition, the proposal reflects ongoing frustrations with U.S. drug pricing, a long-standing issue that has drawn bipartisan criticism.⁠
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