Borno NDLEA Command says 80 per cent drug users are students,  vows to stamp out drugs in schools

By Boye Ajayi

With the seizure of about 20.706kg of assorted illicit narcotics and the arrests of 85 suspects, who are mostly youths, the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Borno State Command, says it is reaching out to schools in the fight against drugs among students.

“Having realized that 80% of drug addicts are from youths cadre, our command is reaching out to schools in the state for this purpose.

“We are committed to stamping out drug addiction among the youths,’’ Mr Joseph Icha, the agency’s Commander in Borno told Persecondnews on telephone.

He said two persons were convicted in July 2020, while other cases are pending before the Federal High Court Maiduguri.

Of the 84 men already apprehended, one of them is a woman with their ages ranging between 20 and 47 years.

The substances are made up of Cannabis Sativa 3.283kg, Cocaine 2.8gramms, Heroin 1.4gramms and Psychotropic substances 17.419kgs.

Icha said 42 drug users were counseled within the month under review and were successfully treated and handed over to their families, while three others, referred to as clients, are admitted to undergo residential counseling at the command.

On the category of students taking drugs in the state, the commander said: “These schools include primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. The objective is to educate them on the dangers and consequences of drug intakes.

“We will then tell them what the drugs are and the implications of consuming them.’’

According to Icha, the command has been encouraging the students to form youth clubs known as “Drug Free Clubs” to sustain the enlightenment campaign against drug addiction among youths.

He said that the command would join them to facilitate the project and supervise it for utmost success.

The commander said, however, that for those who are already into drug abuse, both treatment and counseling approach will be used to solve the problem.

“We do take them to Psychiatric Hospital for treatment as well as continue counseling them in order to rehabilitate them back into the society so that they can continue to contribute meaningfully.’’

Stating that the command has recorded 100 % success in curbing youths drug addiction, he said after four months of monitoring developments around them, they would be discharged to go back home as free citizens.

Icha promised that the command would continue to maintain contacts with the drug users to ensure that they did not go back to it.