Bauchi Gov laments increase in sales, abuse of illicit drugs among youths

Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed has lamented the increase in the rate of illicit drugs abuse among youths in the state which he said has become alarming.

He therefore charged the State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to as a matter of urgency, go after drug barons, dealers and merchants operating in the state.

The governor further charged the NDLEA to ensure that any dealer, baron, merchant caught was properly prosecuted so that, “It will be last deal of his life. Enough of this, they are not bigger than the law of Nigeria.”

Governor Mohammed said this while responding to remarks by the NDLEA State Commander, Ali Aminu during a courtesy visit at the Government House, Bauchi.

The governor who agreed that drugs abuse was on the increase in the state, charged that, “You need to stem to tide of sarasuka in the state, they cannot just be cutting hands under the influence of drugs abuse and go Scott free.”

According to him, “We want you to go after the merchants, those that are in the business of supply, they can’t be bigger than the law, don’t only prosecute the takers, prosecute the sellers, if you arrest any dealer, make sure that is the end of his business for life.”

He stressed that, “We know the importance of your agency, we know what you are here to do for us, as an agency, we are always looking up to you to support government in the efforts to ensure that the state is drug free in terms of abuse and trafficking.”

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The governor said that,”We will always give you the opportunity to come and interact. I listened with rapt attention to the activities of the agency since you came on board, and, some of the numbers and statistics are not very encouraging but it is better for us to know the blatant truth than to be hidden.”

He said that, “It is because Bauchi is a state that is a gateway to about seven states and gateway to thre zones of the country, North-East, North-Central and North-West, so, it is in the middle. As a gateway, we are carriers or we are users of the banned drugs.”

Mohammed stressed that, “from the national statistics, the state is the 3rd most populous state in the North after Kano and Kaduna, and, so of course, demographic, migration and the rest are not helping us because by virtue of our being relatively peaceful, people are migrating to this place, it is normal with people to move away from where there is insecurity to where is more secured.”

Earlier, the NDLEA Commander, Ali Aminu explained that the agency was charged with the responsibilities of elimination of drugs abuse, manufacturing, trafficking and use of illicit drugs in Nigeria.

He said that substance abuse had emerged as a significant challenge among the younger generation, affecting individuals mental wellbeing and physically, relationships and general social life.

According to him, “The recent national survey on drugs use and health 2018 shows that youths involvement in drugs abuse especially in our schools has taken a frightening dimensions. By virtue of my position as NDLEA State Commander, I can say with confidence that the level of drugs use in the state is very high and the consequences too are very high.”

By Yemi Kanji

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