Media Practitioner Raises Alarm Over Youth Drug Abuse, Demands Joint Security Crackdown

…….Says drug menace threatening Nigeria’s future leaders

A community leader and media practitioner, Otunba Olufemi Orioye, has raised the alarm over the growing menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, calling on security agencies to join forces with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to crush the illicit drug trade.

Orioye, convener of a non-governmental organisation, Campaign Against Drug Abuse, kidnapping and Cultism (CADAKC), made the call in a statement issued on monday in Lagos.

He warned that the increasing involvement of youths in drug consumption could have devastating consequences for the future of the country.

The media practitioner said the battle against illicit drugs could no longer be left to the NDLEA alone, stressing that a coordinated offensive involving all security agencies was urgently required to dismantle the networks responsible for the production, distribution and sale of illicit substances.

According to him, the alarming spread of drug abuse among young Nigerians is fuelling other social vices, including cultism, violent crimes, kidnapping, and youth restiveness.

The multiple award-winning journalist also sounded a strong warning to parents and guardians, urging them to pay closer attention to the activities, movements, and associations of their children.

He particularly commended the officials of the Ibara Correctional Centre, Abeokuta, for the arrest of one Mrs Iyabo Sowunmi over an alleged attempt to smuggle illicit drugs to her son, Dare Sowunmi, who is on death row at the facility.

Describing the alleged incident as “unwholesome and unacceptable,” Orioye said parents should be role models and promoters of dignity, discipline and responsible behaviour rather than encourage acts capable of further ruining the lives of their children.

He said the incident should serve as a warning to other parents who may be tempted to shield or facilitate criminal activities involving their children.

The CADAKC convener, while applauding the NDLEA for its relentless war against drug traffickers and dealers, urged the agency to take the battle to the doorsteps of drug merchants by intensifying raids on notorious drug spots across Lagos State.

He called for sustained operations in areas allegedly being used as hideouts and distribution centres for illicit substances, particularly locations frequented by young people.

Orioye further urged the NDLEA, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other relevant agencies to establish stronger intelligence-sharing mechanisms and joint operations against drug syndicates.

He said the focus should not only be on street-level dealers and users but also on those financing, importing, producing, and controlling the distribution networks.

According to him, “Nigeria can not afford to lose an entire generation to drugs.”

He stressed that the fight against drug abuse must also move beyond arrests and prosecution to prevention, rehabilitation, and aggressive public enlightenment.

He urged the government and relevant agencies to intensify anti-drug campaigns in schools, tertiary institutions, and communities, warning youths about the physical, psychological, and social consequences of drug abuse.

Orioye also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, teachers, community leaders, and media practitioners to join the campaign, insisting that the war against drug abuse requires a collective effort.

He said the earlier society confronts the menace, the better the chances of protecting the nation’s youths from being recruited into criminal activities.

He reaffirmed that CADAKC would continue to support efforts aimed at combating drug abuse, kidnapping, and cultism while advocating a safer and more responsible society.

Orioye expressed optimism that a sustained partnership between communities, security agencies, and the NDLEA would help dismantle the illicit drug network and protect Nigerian youths from the dangers threatening their future.