From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Taraba State Commander of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Nansy Sallah, has raised alarm over the growing abuse of drugs by young people in Taraba State.
The NDLEA boss disclosed this during an interaction with officials of the Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ in the State.
Sallah said that the terrain of Taraba and it’s topography has made it difficult to effectively combat the menace and regrets that the more and more young persons are resorting to illicit drug usage.
“The challenge of tackling drug abuse in Taraba is a daunting one, I can tell you that. Taraba was considered a transit state for movement of illicit drugs from the Southern part of the country to most other Northern States and the bordering Cameroon.
“As if that is not bad enough, the state has now become a consumption hub for these drugs. Young people especially between the ages of Sixteen to Forty are taking to drugs almost on a daily basis. Sadly, this cuts across the genders.
“We are really worried that this trend has tremendous impact, negative impact, on the health of these addicts. It is also a major security threat. We are all aware of what transpired recently at some schools here in Jalingo where a student stabbed his teacher to death. These are all effects of this ugly trend.
“Our operation are also constrained for the lack of a rehabilitation centre in the state. It is very important to have a comprehensive rehabilitation centre so that when we make arrests, we are able to subject them to thorough rehabilitation and restoration. This will help to curb the menace. It is also very important for parents to pay more attention to their children. Parenting is a responsibility that should not be taken for granted because once the families fail in playing their roles in bringing up the children properly, they subject the larger society to unnecessary risks.”