Hassan (other name withheld), an undergraduate at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, is today at the facility of the state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency where he is being rehabilitated to wean him off his addiction to illicit drug use.

Hassan, who hails from Magongo in Ogori/Magongo council in Kogi State, was brought to the centre by his father after observing his unsettling behaviour.

While he may not be able to complete his programme on schedule alongside his classmates because of his scheduled stay at the rehab centre, he is now among 13 other persons at the centre, having spent three months at the centre already. In addition, completing his education and becoming a Crop and Animal Production graduate has taken the second place as his mental wellness has become the priority of his family members.

Hassan, who is the only son of a notable politician, told Saturday PUNCH that he was recruited into the gang of drug addicted youths by some friends he met during his first year.

He began, “I was influenced to join a social club by a group of friends. I wasn’t on drugs until I got admission into the university; I didn’t even know Metavitamin existed until I moved to campus and my friends introduced me to the drug, which is also known as ICE.

“It’s a drug we used to take to make us feel high. When we take it in excess, it intoxicates us and makes us go deeply asleep, but when we are unable to sleep, it makes us weak. As a result, sometimes, I would become wild and misbehave, doing things I ordinarily wouldn’t have done.”

His regrets are understandable but equally heartbreaking. “I know I have lost some grades, and academically, I’m at the lowest grade in school. I’m so confused and worried. I don’t know what to do with myself. I messed up, bro… I messed up, bro… I messed up, big time,” he muttered under his breath, as he fought back tears that welled up in his eyes.

Another ‘patient’ at the rehab centre, Abdulazeez, aka Baba Poultry, also opened up on his journey to the centre.

Abdulazeez disclosed that he was a poultry farmer who worked with one of the big poultry farms in Ifakemi village in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State where he hails from. But he said that was where he got lured into smoking weed, popularly known as cannabis sativa or Indian hemp.

He said he soon got into the habit of purchasing the substance from local vendors in one of the towns near his village, noting that his addiction to the illicit drug made him a menace to his family.

He stated, “I have lost thousands of naira from my poultry business as a result of my involvement in drugs. I will no longer smoke it or go near it again because I no longer enjoy respect from my family members and my people in society.”

Illicit drug abuse, especially by both male and female youths and married women in the northern part of the country, has become a major source of worry to many stakeholders, including individuals and the government. They fear that the ugly trend, if unchecked by the government, community leaders and the elders in their various households, could signal the beginning of the end of a once prosperous and decent people and culture.

Sadly, drug abuse does not only pose a serious public health crisis in the North-Central and North-West, it is also threatening the very thin cord fastening marital ties in the region.

The NDLEA Zone C Commander in Minna, Niger State, Aliyu Omba, said in June in commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking that drug abuse, even though a global problem, had assumed a crisis stage in Nigeria.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Stop Stigmatisation, Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention’, Omba stated that a research by the United Nations in 2018 revealed that Kwara State topped the list of drug abuse and trafficking with 13 per cent, followed by Nasarawa State at 11.8 per cent, Niger State at 11.6 per cent and the Federal Capital Territory at 10 per cent. Kogi State came fifth with 9.2 per cent, and Benue State had eight per cent.

In Kwara State, the drug users were found to be between the ages of 15 and 65 years.

It was also gathered that the North had the second highest incident of drug abuse with a combined total of 22 per cent behind the South-West at 22.4 per cent.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime household survey conducted in 2018 but reviewed in 2021 and 2022 respectively placed the level of substance abuse in Nigeria at 14.3 per cent, which was three times higher than the 5.6 per cent global average.

The survey further showed that one out of seven Nigerians must have been involved in drugs as of the period the survey was conducted. The prevalence of drug abuse was also put at between 20 and 40 per cent among students and 20.9 per cent among the youths as of 2021.

The prevalence of illicit drugs in the North-East was put at 13.6 per cent and North-West, 12 per cent, while North-Central is said to be at 10 per cent.

Commenting on the rise in the use of banned substances, the Commander of the Kwara State Command of the NDLEA, Mohammed Ibrahim, stated, “I resumed in July in Kwara State and between January and June, out of the 227 suspects arrested, 85 per cent were males, while 15 per cent were females.

“The arrest shows that 84 per cent of those arrested fall between ages 14 and 40 years. Most of them are poly-drug users who combine two or three drugs.”

More women as users

The menace of drug abuse in the region seems to be entrapping men and women alike, unlike in the past when it was more prevalent among men.

A recent report noted that for every five males addicted to drugs, two females were also hooked to illicit drugs. There are even fears that currently, for every five males hooked to drug abuse, there would likely be four female addicts, ranging from young to old, those in the corporate environment, widows and divorcees.

According to the report, drug addiction is more prevalent among girls and married women in cities in Kaduna and Kano. It is said to have spread to some cities in Borno and Adamawa states.

Some of the factors said to be responsible for the illicit drug consumption include depression, divorce, loss of child custody, or death of a partner or child.

Some of the illicit drugs common to women in the region include codeine, cannabis, marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol abuse.

It was gathered that these substances are usually hidden and concealed under their clothes or disguised inside bottles of soft drinks and table water.

A new bride and resident of the Sabon Gari in Kano State, Hadiza, said she learnt the habit of smoking cigarettes from her friends at the age of 16 before she graduated to smoking marijuana.

She stated, “I did not decide to be an addict. My family members were giving me troubles, and just as I was ill-treated by others I didn’t feel loved by my parents. So, I started to find solace, comfort, love and excitement from my friends and neighbours.

“A friend introduced me to cigarettes, I did not like it at first but it gave me a good feeling and my worries seemed to have become less. I wanted to stop. I tried to stop, but any day I went without codeine, cough syrup or weed, I would be sad as if the world was going to end. That was how I got hooked onto it. Stopping it has been very hard. Sometimes, I feel sick but I can’t stop.”

Hadiza, who is a mother of one, however said she would not like her daughter to take to smoking, adding, “I will not want her to learn it; it’s very bad. But if it’s God’s will then let it be done. I want my child to be a doctor to help people like me.”

Another married woman and resident of Maiduguri, Borno State, identified as Aisha, explained how drugs, specifically codeine, was her only recourse after her husband broke her heart by taking a second wife.

“I never believed my husband would take another wife until my neighbour told me during a regular evening discussion,” she said. “Life became horrible for me. I went to see his family to discuss what I had heard, but to my surprise, his mother knew about his plan to marry a second wife.

“Two months after I found out about his plans, they got married. Many influential persons were invited. I felt betrayed beyond words. I had a friend who was always taking cough syrup, I didn’t know what it was but I tried it during that period and that was how I found peace of mind.”

Dearth of rehab facilities

It was gathered that there were no enough facilities for the rehabilitation of those addicted to drugs.

Aside from the one operated by the Kwara State Command of the NDLEA, another rehabilitation centre in the state, which houses some of the addicts, is a facility operated by a retired professor of psychiatry, Oladele Olayemi.

In Kano State, the state government established a rehabilitation centre, and according to a report by a camp coordinator at the Kano Reformatory Institute in Kiru, Dr Ekpein Appah, about 37 per cent of the population in Kano State might be into drug abuse, relying on the figures from the NDLEA.

He stated, “On September 9, 2021, a drug rehabilitation centre was opened in Kano for drug addicts. The Kano State Government realised that the idea of arresting drug abusers and sending them to jail wasn’t effective. They are just stuck in a place and come back to harm society when they are released.

“But at the rehab centre, they are reformed, rehabilitated and trained in different skills.”

Other states that have taken the cue to either establish or sponsor rehabilitation centres are Sokoto, where the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Kaure, had commenced the rehabilitation of victims.

Another notable reform home is the Mallam Kawu Youth Rehabilitation Centre in Bauchi State while the Jigawa State Government constituted a 20-member committee to checkmate the rising menace of drug abuse in the state and for which purpose it established the rehabilitation centre in Dutse.

In Katsina State, the government also built a drug rehabilitation centre within the premises of the NDLEA, while the wife of former Governor Aminu Masari, Dr Hadiza, also built a rehabilitation and reformation centre to provide counseling, rehabilitation, detoxification and treatment to drug addicts.

There are two other rehabilitation centres in Daura, for instance. One is owned by the state government and the other by an Islamic cleric, Mallam Bello Almajiri, who is also the operator of the centre.

In Taraba State, the Hope Afresh foundation, a pet project of the wife of a former governor, also built a rehabilitation centre in Jalingo, the state capital, while the immediate past administration in Benue State planned to establish three rehabilitation centres in partnership with communities.

Many observers had commended the NDLEA for ensuring that each state command of the agency operates a rehabilitation centre where the addicts are reformed and rehabilitated for a period of time.

The NDLEA also operates rehabilitation centres in Kaduna, Kebbi, Jigawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe and Gombe States for the rehabilitation, reformation and treatment of the youth involved in drug addiction.

Ibrahim however disclosed that the office could only maintain a facility that could cater to a few victims.

He added, “We have a facility that caters to about 14 persons who are kept for a maximum of three months because of the limited space. Although the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has tried to provide a rehabilitation centre, it has not gone beyond the foundation level because of lack of funds.

“We are therefore appealing to the well-to-do members of the society to assist us for the rehabilitation of these young members of our society so that they can lead better lives.”

Meanwhile, our correspondent visited the Olayemi Psychiatric Hospital in Ilorin.

It was gathered that the hospital does not cater to the health concerns of drug addicts alone, it also takes care of mentally challenged persons.

On one of the visits, it was observed that there were between 80 and 100 persons waiting to be attended to. While some were waiting to register for treatment, others wanted to see the doctors.

As our correspondent waited to have an interaction with one of the doctors, a young man suspected to be between 30 and 35 years with his two legs shackled together.

Also among the patients was a boy of about 13 years whose uncoordinated actions and behaviour showed that all was not well with him. He repeatedly showed signs of discomfort as he sat with a woman believed to be his mother.

A young female doctor who identified herself as Dr Margaret Adebisi, who declined being recorded, said the hospital does not only treat patients who are addicted to hard drugs but also provides medical care to people with mental disorder.

Adebisi affirmed that illicit drug abuse was common among young people across the various tribes in the country, adding that while the poor people consume cheap drugs, the rich settle for expensive drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

She added, “The Fulani people engage in the consumption of Soliso, Skushi and weed. The most commonly abused drugs include cannabis, metavitamin, popularly known as ICE, alcohol, tobacco, cocaine (crack), amphetamine, heroin, diazepam, codeine, cough syrup, tramadol and many others, while Soliso, Skushi and weed is common among the Fulani.”

Several experts have attributed drug abuse to what has been as the 3As; Availability, Accessibility and Avoidability.

Ibrahim observed that peer influence, which he said was on the rise, the negative use of social media, cult activities, poor parenting, school influence, fraud and emergence of yahoo boys (Internet fraudsters) and communities glorifying wealth, have all combined to promote the consumption and abuse of hard drugs.

Adebisi listed high depression, social media, music and environmental factors as well as poor parenting as some of the factors promoting drug abuse in society.

A non-governmental organisation, Rukayat Equity and Development Initiative, had said in a statement by its Chief Executive Officer, Rukayat Shittu, attributed the rise in the use of illicit drugs to its promotion in social media, adding that several times, smoking and display of illicit drugs were staged and displayed on the various platforms like Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp etc.

It noted, “I have seen some music stars with large following on Instagram posting videos of themselves and others on the various social media platforms and consuming various kinds of mixed liquor, while others have previously promoted similar drug abuse content in their popular tracks. I have also watched some musicians in social media with enticing scenes of excessive smoking.

“Furthermore, there are others with large followers who display pictures covered with smoke and cigars in-between the fingers, depicting an invitation to drug abuse. While some, many more even, continue to expose drug abuse scenes in the videos of their popular tracks.

“Others have made it a culture to display drug-related clips on their various social media platforms and music videos, thus making concerted efforts against drug abuse almost impossible to progress in the manner desired. Many of the young people in the country follow these artistes and celebrities in social media and seek to replicate their lifestyles.”

Shittu stressed that she had seen many young people trying to be like their preferred celebrities by abusing drugs, largely tobacco and Indian hemp.

“Others abuse alcohol and other kinds of syrup in the manner they are seen in movies, music videos and social media,” she added.

On how to address drug abuse, experts advocate the reorientation of the society.

This the NDLEA commander readily subscribes to, but noted that apart from the enforcement of anti-drug laws and control of illegal drugs through the arrest and apprehension of carriers and dealers, the agency had carried its campaign against drug abuse to schools and religious centres, including mosques and churches.

He added, “We have also met with the traditional rulers, including Emirs and Obas, to sensitise them to the negative effect of drugs so that they will pass the message to members of their communities. Our campaign is ongoing, and we have plans to visit secondary schools just as we will soon hold a meeting with all principals of secondary schools in the state.”

Adebisi, while advising parents to have a close relationship with their children and teach them what to do, stressed, “Parents should monitor the activities of their children at home and monitor their phone applications. The same way governments at different levels should monitor and reduce circulation and sales of drugs.

“Government should also create awareness on the proper use of drugs on radio, television and other mediums for community members and schools, starting from primary schools. It should not limit the campaign to tertiary institutions.”

Shittu, who is a member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, said she had started a campaign against drug abuse, while calling on the government to exercise some control on social media.

Shittu, who is the chief executive officer of REDI, urged the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission to pay more attention to the contents shared on social media platforms.

Shittu added, “In people’s daily lives, almost all their behaviour is shaped and controlled by the expectations and norms embedded in their relationships with their families, friends, teachers, employers and various social groups and organisations. These norms and expectations vary substantially over the course of life. Informal social controls may discourage drug use or, conversely, encourage and reinforce it, depending on the social and developmental context.

“However, in a world where media and by extension, social media, largely influence behaviour, music and movie stars, skit makers and other influencers are the driving force while continuous exposure to drug abuse-related lifestyle and content largely drives demand, leaving the space unregulated, ultimately leading to conflicting messages on drug abuse.

“It is on this basis that I propose the introduction of regulations, not only to ban the display of drug abuse-promoting content on social media, music videos, movies, skit, reality shows and others, but to also prescribe punishment, which may be criminal in nature to create deterrence.”

Shittu lamented that social media had become the breeding ground for some bad things, and that it was necessary to reduce the negative content that glamourise and encourage drug abuse.

An Islamic cleric, Imam Abubakar Aliyy Kamal, noted that drug use was increasing especially among the youth, which he said had also led to increase in crime especially in the major cities across the North.

He attributed the menace to the lack of parental care, involvement of security personnel in drug use, weak punishment for those caught with hard drugs, while also carpeting both Islam and Christianity clerics of not doing enough in preaching to their followers about the evil sides of drug consumption.

Kamal noted that most of the youths who engage in crime and cultism always take hard drugs. He therefore advised the government to embark on a holistic approach to reduce the consumption of illicit drugs, adding that there was the need to control the production and importation of hard drugs into the country.

He also recommended that law enforcement agents should be diligent in monitoring local vendors who sell or dispense drugs.

He noted that people in the community should be able to volunteer information and point out those who engage in the consumption of illicit drugs within their respective communities.

The religious leader urged the government to impose appropriate punishment on those caught with illicit drugs to serve as a deterrent to others.

Kamal also suggested that government should allow the teaching of religion at both the primary and secondary school levels so that students would be brought up in the way of Allah, right from their formative and youthful years, insisting that when the fear of Allah is inculcated in the children from their homes and schools, only then would they grow up to be good citizens. (Courtesy, excluding headline, Sunday PUNCH)

•Combination picture of drugs NDLEA operatives and users

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