Many experts say that Nigeria has one of the worst drug crises on Earth.  The West African nation’s rates of drug use and dependency are astronomical, and they have one of the most powerful cartels in the world.  Because of this problem, drug-related crime rates are also out of control - so bad they even spill over into the bordering nations of Chad, Niger, Benin, and Cameroon.  In fact, Nigeria’s drug syndicates have grown so influential that the national government is nearly powerless to stop them.  A cycle has been created wherein the cartels gain power, and the already-impotent government loses even more of its ability to change the situation.  Knowledge of Nigeria’s problems is crucial because most of the drugs that make their way to American shores come from this part of the world.  Preventing drug use, trafficking, and addiction in the United States may have to start at the source of the problem.

As is often the case with impotent governments, Nigeria’s politicians, law enforcement agencies, and infrastructure are controlled by the leaders of the drug cartels.  Nigerian drug lords have gained immense power over the last thirty years in particular, and they are now estimated to possess half of the world’s illegal heroin.  This shows what a global power they have become; heroin must be transported from Middle Eastern countries across Europe to get to West Africa.  The drug lords even have representatives in almost every nation who help to control their sourcing and distribution operations.  Because of the global nature of this issue, Nigeria’s government has had to shift its focus from actually stopping and eradicating the cartels - to merely attempting to control them.

Seemingly unstoppable crime is one of the worst results of the Nigerian drug crisis.  With 158,000,000 people, powerless law enforcement agencies, and astoundingly high rates of addiction, the country is a breeding ground for lawlessness.  Containment efforts increased after the United States issued a harsh criticism of the country’s inability to prevent drug trafficking, but they were to no avail.  Nigeria’s cartel leaders actually have more funding and significantly more worldwide influence the their own government, and horrific drug-related crimes remain the norm.

One of the worst of these crimes is human trafficking.  Nigerian cartel leaders often kidnap girl as young as ten from their homes and force them into prostitution.  They keep these girls under tight control by having them take heroin.  Once the girls become addicted, they are dependent on their captors to feed their physical drug dependencies.

Nigerian crime syndicates also engage in bribery, blackmail, murder, and some of the worst money laundering in the world.  They kill people purely for money, but they also murder politicians who don’t fall in line with their agendas.  This practice effectively keeps the government from ever taking any effective action against the drug lords.

Unfortunately, most Nigerian citizens do not have access to drug rehabilitation programs the way we do in the United States. If you or a loved one is suffering from drug addiction, there is real hope for a lasting recovery. Follow the links below for a toll-free, no-obligation consultation, and get your life back on track today.

For more information about getting the right help right now, click here for drug treatment centers in Florida that can help you no matter where you live.

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Author's Bio: 

Peerson McGinty started writing after retiring from the US Navy in the early 90's. As the internet became more popular, he started writing for the web and now his entire family eanrs a living writing ebooks, articles, web content, copy, and performing editing services. Peerson offers a guarantee on all writing services, which is extremely rare in the industry.