NOA calls for support in ending drug use among young Nigerians

The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, on Tuesday urged well meaning Nigerians to take proactive steps to save the youths from drugs addiction, which has turned them into political thugs and kidnappers.

Abari made the call in Kaduna at an interactive programme organized by the agency, with the theme: `Security sensitization and re-Orientation against political thuggery, Kidnapping and Drug Addiction.’

The NOA boss said such intervention was necessary before such miscreants compromise the sanctity of the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

According to him, to make the elections free, fair and credible, social vices like political thuggery, kidnapping and drug addiction must be quickly addressed.

Abari suggested sustained sensitisation of such group of youths, to understand the dangers of addiction to their health, wellbeing and the society.

He added that the security challenges and other vices being experienced across the country also posed threat to the upcoming election.

“The current security challenges and social ills affecting our nation is of great concern to us, as such sensitization programmes like this would be ongoing across the  nation to re-orientate our youth on the effect of the social vices they engage in”, he said.

Also, Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, said politicians should jettison the old ways of using the youths as political thugs.

He also agreed that the menace of drug abuse in the society must be tackled, as it would hinder free, fair and credible elections.

“We have a responsibility to collaborate with agencies like National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Immigration to ensure the eradication of illegal sale and use of drugs in our society,” he added.

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The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Austin Iwar, who spoke on the menace of kidnapping in the state, said that the command and other security agencies were working to tackle the problem.

“Kidnapping is a serious crime punishable with life imprisonment,’’ he said, and urged the youth to shun all forms of criminal activities.

In a remark, Dr Ibrahim Baba, an official of the NDLEA, said in a paper on the consequences of drug abuse, that illicit drug intake was the root cause of most crimes in the country.

He stressed that majority of crimes been committed were mostly perpetrated under the influence of hard drugs.

Baba, therefore, called on the government to set up drug rehabilitation centres nationwide, to help wean addicts out of their bad habit.

Malam Sani Abdulfata, a representative of the Independent National Election Commission, blamed desperate politicians for the use of thugs to compromise the credibility of elections, to satisfy their selfish interests.

Abdulfatah advised the youth to stay away from such politicians and ensure their votes count, so as not to be used and dumped by such selfish politicians.