Security threats: Dealing with troubling chronicles of hard drugs proliferation

Illegal operations apparently remain one field of activity in Nigeria growing wings and spreading tentacles across the Country. The subject on its own is one broad matter of discourse that categorically bears variant wings of phenomenon of national consequences. While the discourse on several forms of illegal operations in Nigeria have been largely long-winded, ready solutions to stem their wings have not been seen very much near the sight of a promising end. Rather, the preponderance of several variants of these operations continue to manifest, bearing newer offsprings geometrically.

Trafficking in Nigeria is one variant of illegal operation whose roots have continued to wax deeper and its tentacles expanding widely across the Country. It will, however, be a clumsy discourse to talk of trafficking without schematic categorisation, as the menace itself is an illegal industry with offshoot of variant branches. The subject in Nigeria is one which has grown to include illegal dealings of trafficking of both human and prohibited goods. The phenomenon of drug trafficking having to do with Nigeria, is one subject  which when narrowed down upon assessment calls for concern. The menace by Nigerian illicit traffickers have grown wide to attract global attention. Recent reports of exposed cases have shown the magnitude of how the drug trafficking venture is exchanging hands at alarming rate. It would be recalled that recently it was disclosed that coordinated operations of the NDLEA in late January led to huge seizures of cocaine and heroin, with street values worth over N30 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. One of the seizures to the tune of 26.840 kilograms of cocaine, is the biggest single seizure from an individual in the past 15 years, with a street value worth over N21 billion. Another seizure made on January 27, was one of cocaine weighed to be 8.400 Kilograms, with a street value of over N7 billion.

On Saturday, it was disclosed that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had seized 46.8 kilograms of suspected Tramadol capsules worth N50 million in Mubi, Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Idris Bello, who made the disclosure in Yola, disclosed that the command had also seized 82 blocks of compressed substance, weighing 79 kilogrammes, believed to be Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as Indian Hemp in Lafiya-Lamurde in Lamurde Local Government Area of the state. He  further disclosed that from January to date, the command had arrested no fewer than 136 suspects in connection with drug-related cases across the state. According to him,  during the period under review, only 12 people were convicted, while 67 cases were still pending at the Federal High Court, Yola.

However, the earlier case appears so infinitesimal when compared to the most recent mind boggling interception of hard drugs weighing 1.550kg, with an estimated street value of about N1 billion in Sokoto State. The culprit involved is a 36-year-old transborder drug trafficker, named Nkem Timothy, alias Auwalu Audu who was arrested in Sokoto by operatives of NDLEA, while trying to cross to Algeria through the Niger Republic with 62 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine. According to the Acting State Commander of NDLEA, Sokoto, Bamidele Segun the suspect was intercepted on a motorcycle around the baggage area at Illela border while trying to cross to Niger Republic while his final destination was to be Algeria where he resides.

The venture of drug trafficking in Nigeria has been one phenomenon of concern which in itself bears strings of stormy social, economic and political impacts in the Country. The resonance of the proliferation of hard drugs into Nigeria recently has had its reflecting links on the profiles of the preponderance of social ills,  manifesting in disturbing heights across the Country. The troubling spate of crime rate and inhumane escapades in Nigeria, cannot be meaningfully argued not to have bearing links with the preponderance of drug abuse across the Country. The abuse of hard drugs in Nigeria among youths and adolescents is moving to the edge of breaking down the architectures of reason in the Country. The trend of abuse of drugs is an exuberance which bears resonance with the sensations of criminality. Most recently, the records of domestic violence with gory narratives are relatively reflection of high cases of culprits acting heavily under the influence of hard drugs. It is an established fact that criminal tendencies are more prone to find expression under the influence of hard drugs; hence the reason crime inclined persons and cliques are known to be custodians of hard drugs.

The necessity to curtail the troubling security threats ravaging the architectures of the Nigerian society is non-negotiable. In this light, giving an overarching approach to addressing these challenges cannot be over-emphasized. The significance of adopting strategic measures to address factors which directly and indirectly compound to instigate and engender criminality in the Country is sine qua non. In the reflection of this perspective, it becomes necessary for the Government not to take lightly the need to address the proliferation of hard drugs and its abuse in Nigeria. It is paramount that the Government strengthen all the relevant agencies to embark on forceful operations to clampdown on the dealers of hard drugs across the Country. It is imperative that loopholes being exploited to permeate the Country with hard drugs be blocked through proactive measures. The necessity to enhance security check architectures at every entry and exit point in and out of the Country is essential to track working lines of drug traffickers. Beefing up security architecture at every port, both sea and air, is critical towards ensuring that defective lacunas are no longer exploited to bring in and supply hard drugs in the Country.

The tune of infiltration of hard drugs into the Country bears strong direct and indirect link to security architecture in the Country. The proliferation of hard drugs portends impacts of negative trends on the peace profile in the Country. The prevailing security situations in Nigeria is largely troubling. The connecting orientation of drug abuse to security threats holds sway in the study of security matters. Drug addicts are known to be potential security threats to the society. Perpetrators of heinous crimes including unlawful gangs of bandits, robbers, and kidnappers amongst others, are known to be custodians of hard drugs. Many of these culprits appear by study to perpetrate their escapades under heavy influence of hard drugs. Studies have come to establish the nexus between preponderance of drug abuse and crime rate.

It is important that as the Government seeks to address the pressing wings of insecurity troubles in the Country, prudent perspective be given to strategic factors that may look silent but hold strong sway in propelling the worsening of security situations in the Country. The preponderance of hard drug consumption in the Country has been observed to have simultaneously carried along a worsening record of crime rate. It is imperative for the Government to strengthen the system of checks to sift the Country off the preponderance of exchange of hard drugs and its proliferation and consumption in the Country. The need to strengthen surveillance strategies within the Country as well as at every entry and exit point in and out of the Country is essential to critically stem down the tide of exchange and consumption of hard drugs. It is paramount to develop working intelligence system to track down major transborder drug cartel across the Country. The time to address all factoring links of insecurity is now!