Follow Us on Google
A prominent political activist, Dr Muhammad Usman-Bugaje, said Katsina State is in a dangerous situation over the rampant cases of drug abuse in the state.
Usman-Bugaje stated this yesterday during a dialogue with stakeholders on the theme: “Tackling the menace of drug abuse among youths in Katsina State.”
The dialogue, attended by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, was organised by a group of concerned Katsina elders, Katsina Consultative Forum (KCF).
He said a report by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has placed the state as second after Bauchi, in seizure of drugs and arrest of dealers and users. The political activist further said all the horrifying figures and information were in spite of the efforts of the NDLEA.
“Just to avoid doubts, there are six pages of data from the NDLEA on the seizures, arrests and convictions by states for the Northwest. Looking through these figures, we noticed that Katsina keeps coming at the top of some of these seizures and arrests.
“This should be well noted and the KCF should be able to follow up with the NDLEA to find out ways we can stop the rise in the penetration of drugs in Katsina.
In another survey done for the whole country, Katsina came second, only next to Bauchi, in terms of arrests of drug smugglers. All these are worrying and we need to get someone to do something,” he said.
Usman-Bugaje also suggested that measures to reduce the burden should involve the community, government, and religious bodies. He added that preventive measures should target the youth, students, identified sources of the drugs, reasons and risk factors associated with drug abuse in Nigeria.
Earlier, the KCF Chairman, Alhaji Aminu Abubakar-Danmusa, said the event aimed at finding lasting solutions to the menace in the state. He said the choice of the theme was not arbitrary, but a reflection of unwavering commitment to safeguard the future of the state. Traditional rulers and other stakeholders also graced the occasion.
