The National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday raised the alarm that many Nigerian youth have graduated from hemp smoking to more dangerous synthetic drugs, which have made their future to look bleak, if care is not taken.

The Commander of NDLEA in Oyo State Command, Olayinka Fadile, raised the alarm in his address during a familiarisation visit of the management of the command to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, at his residence, Alarere, Ibadan.

Olubadan was decorated as Ambassador of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) by Fadile during the visit.

Fadile, who assumed duty in Ibadan a few months ago, said the visit was to strengthen the existing relationship between the command and the palace, noting that “the task before us is challenging and there’s no way we can do it alone without the involvement of our respective communities. When we talk of the communities, we are talking about the community leaders and this is how and why Your Imperial Majesty is involved.

“The agency is worried about the rate at which our youths abuse drugs. They have graduated from hemp smoking to others and more dangerous synthetic drugs that are now manufactured under various names like kolos, loud, and all sorts of other names too numerous to mention, making the future to look bleak for our youths if care is not taken.

“It is for this reason that we are engaging all the critical stakeholders like Your Imperial Majesty with the conviction that with your support, we will succeed. This was part of what led to the WADA, the initiative of our Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Bubba Marwa (Rtd) and for which Your Imperial Majesty is now being made an Ambassador.

“The initiative is an advocacy campaign to create awareness that will spread through the society with anti-drug culture. It entails setting up coordinated anti drug programs and committees across the communities which are expected of our ambassadors. We are counting on Your Imperial Majesty as our ambassador to help create drug awareness activities that will suffuse society with offensive actions against drug activities,” he said.

Fadile also expressed optimism that the efforts would positively impact on the general well-being of the citizenry and the image of the country, saying, “This at the end will lead to creation and maintenance of a positive image for our community and Nigeria as a whole”.

Oba Balogun, in his response, lamented the proliferation of illicit drugs among the youths and charged the NDLEA to remain up and doing in tackling the problem that is becoming cancerous.

The monarch, in a press statement made available to journalists in Ibadan by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, said the entire traditional council of Ibadan was worried about the unpleasant situation in the various community compounds in the hinterland, where boys and girls now take pride in drug abuse without let or hindrance, asking the agency to check the situation.

Speaking through his Bobajiro, Chief Tajudeen Aremu, Olubadan told his guest that “you cannot be more worried than me and my members of the traditional council in Ibadanland over the menace of drug abuse among our boys and girls in our community compounds. On our part, we won’t relent drumming it into their ears the dangers inherent in the crime, but, we want more from your agency, especially through the deployment of your intelligence gathering unit.

“We assure you of our cooperation and collaboration to stem the ugly tide. At the palace level, we are in constant touch with the Mogajis and Baales on the need to monitor their respective areas and ensure that all manners of crime are exposed for proper sanction. We won’t relent. Making me Ambassador of your advocacy campaign is a welcome responsibility which will permeate the entire traditional system,” he added. (Daily Sun)

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