The Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria and stakeholders in security have advised youths, especially secondary school children against drug abuse .
The stakeholders also warned people against child’s trafficking .
The security eggheads, who were speaking during a one day sensitisation campaign on drug abuse for Secondary School Students in Lagos, in commemoration of the 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking with the them ” People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strength Prevention”, organized by the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), held at Anwal-ul- Islam Model College, Agege,also warned against child’s trafficking and abuse .
Lagos State Commissioner of Police ,Mr. Idowu Owohunwa, who engaged the students in an interactive session, warned that there was no gain in taking hard drugs as it would only destroy their health and future, adding,” it is better not to start taking drugs,because when you start,it is difficult to stop and it will destroy your future,so don’t start at all”.
The CP who was represented by Commander Rapid Response Squad ( RRS) CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, an alma mater of the host school, used himself as a case study and urged the students to stay away from drug and cultism.
Egbeyemi,said that consumption of hard drugs leads to untimely death, destruction of future ambition, rustication from school, brain disorder, heart and kidney failures amongst others diseases
He also listed factors that attracts students to get addicted or join cult groups to include: curiosity, lack of confidence, greed, craving for power, and ignorance,” I want you to utilise this opportunity you have in this lecture to do away with drug and cultism.Don’t just get close to it; don’t go and use what will affect your brains and ruin your future. The brain is the power of your body and your brain is your future after God. It’s where your thinking faculty is. Whatever you want to become in life apart from your destiny, lies on your brain. Desist from anything you will take that will affect your brain. I am a police officer,and I can tell you authoritatively that there is no way you can disassociate drugs from crime. Once you start the intake of drugs, there is no way you will not indulge in crime, Egbeyemi counseled.
In his good will message, the chairman of the occasion Dr. Ayo Ogunsan, reminded the students that they were the future of the country, hence they should avoid the use of hard drug in order not to shatter their aspirations.
Ogunsan, who is a member of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), stressed that the future of Nigeria lies in the hands of the students, so they should shun what would hinder them from being great in life ” As we do know that you are the leaders of tomorrow, avoid the use of hard drug substances, do not get addicted to those substances. The future of the country is in your hands ,so ,shun what would debar you from becoming great”.
Ogunsan , who was represented by Mr. Afolabi Aina, applauded the organisers for the initiative in focusing on students for the symposium.
On her own,Zonal Coordinator of the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in Lagos,Mrs Comfort Agboko, hinted that investigation has revealed that many who indulge in trafficking in persons, use the avenue to to traffic drugs and that drugs are also used for sex exploitation.
According to her, that illicit drugs were also being used for sex exploitation to give the girls the strength to be able to have sexual intercourse with about 10 to 30 men in a day without feeling the pain, while their recruiters sit down in their comfort zones to collect money .
” What we are telling you is that victims of human trafficking are being used by traffickers to traffic drugs, they also being used for sex exploitation and it gives them the strength to be able to have sexual intercourse with about 10 to 30 men in a day without feeling the pain. Victims of human trafficking that are forced to take may eventually loose their lives. Therefore, children stay away from drugs abuse and substance use, it kills and lost your dreams to come to reality”.
Agboko noted that students get engaged in taking of drugs due to peer pressure, superiority, desire to navigate, efforts to get revived from depression after failure, anxiety and anxious for success.
Speaking on the menace of drug abuse, the NDLEA Lagos State Commander, who was represented by Fatimah Dauda, a Superintendent, stressed that drugs abuse takes one backwards, and destroys the future.
According to her, it also caused AIDs and makes your family members run away from you because victim will be involved in all sorts of social vices.
” If you are into drugs use, your family members will run away from you because you be involved in all sorts of social vices. Drug will be controlling you, you will not be able to do things on your own and you will be controlled by the influence of drugs”, Dauda emphasised.
Speaking further Dauda pointed out that there
are several consequences of drugs, which she identified as physical, social and psychological.
“:Those that have physical consequences are the drugs causing parmanent damage to our internal organ. it causes damage to our body systems, a damage that can not be repaired. examples: damage to the brain, kidney, Heart lungs and so on. That’s why we are asked you not to take it. Illicit drug is a drug that can take you for away from your dreams because the person that suffering from lever or kidney problems can not be able to go to school again. it causes high blood pressure, vervous breakdown blocked blood supply”.
Earlier in his welcome address, President of CRAN Mr. Lekan Olabulo, lamented that despite the war ,declared by the government and its agencies on drug abuse ,the rate of indulging in these illicit substances has continued to grow higher and higher every new day.
He expressed surprise that students in secondary schools and even primary schools have become the targets of unscrupulous drug peddlers ,who take these drugs to their schools.
Olabulo added that names of prohibited substances like :colorado , ,codeine ,indian hemp ,skunk ,tramadol rophynol ,strong ,loud and other dangerous drugs have found their way into our schools and portend great danger to the future of our nation.
According to him, another noticeable abuse of drugs among our youths now is the excessive use of overdose of cough syrup , especially those that contain codeine
The CRAN President identified the consequences of drug abuse in the country to include increase in banditry ,kidnapping ,armed robbery ,murder and others forms of crime as well as unprecedented rise in broken homes and mental disorderliness.
Olabulo, therefore, submitted that, ” There is a strong need for he government and the relevant agencies to dedicate more time , energy and resources to the advocacy and enlightenment on drug abuse and illicit trafficking
He implored that, ” Religious institutions should also join in the fight against drug abuse. They should not just celebrate : Valentine Day ,Fathers’ Day , Mother’s Day and other days of less importance”.
