Drug Abuse: Security agencies seek collective action to protect youths

Security agencies and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) have called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to curb drug abuse and other social vices threatening Nigerian youths.

They made the call at the Voices of Our Society Campaign Against Silent Killers, themed “Strengthening National Consciousness: Confronting Silent Threats to Youth, Security and Public Health,” on Thursday in Lagos.

DCP Ogechi Udu, representing the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Maritime, said drug abuse among boat operators posed serious risks to safety on the waterways.

Udu said the police were working with local communities to sensitise boat operators against substance abuse and other unsafe practices.

According to her, operators under the influence of drugs can drive recklessly, overload boats and ignore dangerous areas such as water hyacinth-covered routes, resulting in accidents and loss of lives.

She said community support and intelligence sharing were important to securing Nigeria’s waterways and combating crimes such as piracy.

“Our slogan is ‘You see something and you say something’, and it has been helping us,” she said.

Udu urged Nigerians to work collectively to combat illicit drug sales and distribution, describing drug abuse as a serious national problem.

She also advised youths to stay away from drugs, stressing that they were the leaders of the present and future.

Similarly, Mrs Mulikat Dick, Assistant Commander of Narcotics, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Strategic Command, said drug abuse had reached an alarming level in the country.

Dick said the agency had intensified sensitisation campaigns in schools, public places and marketplaces to educate Nigerians on the dangers of substance abuse.

She stressed the importance of prevention, saying increased awareness and advocacy could help reduce drug abuse among youths.

“People who use drugs are sick people that need care. They are sick people that need attention.

“You don’t push them away. You don’t castigate them. There is no one single individual that goes into substance use with the aim of getting addicted to it,” she said.

Dick said anybody could become a victim of drug abuse and urged Nigerians to support rather than stigmatise people struggling with substance use.

Also, Mrs Ngozi Obi, Deputy Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), called for early sensitisation of children against substance abuse, cultism and other illicit activities.

Obi commended the convener of the campaign, Mrs Adaobi Enekwe, saying the initiative addressed issues affecting the society, particularly young people and teenagers.

She said NOA had been engaging schools to educate pupils, students and teachers on the dangers of substance abuse and negative peer influence.

The deputy director urged parents to be intentional in raising their children and monitor their activities, friends and environments.

She said parents must also demonstrate positive values at home, noting that children often copied the behaviour of their parents.

“Some of these things are being caused by peer pressure. When they play around with some children that are actually engaged in such things, they can be influenced,” she said.

Obi also urged teachers to serve as positive role models, stressing that some children listened to their teachers more than their parents.

She called for the involvement of all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, government agencies, security institutions and communities, in tackling drug abuse and other threats to young people.