Akwa Ibom State command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 165 kilogrammes of hard drugs from 105 youths in four months.
The state commander, Mrs Obot Bassey, disclosed this on Monday when he spoke on, “Role of hard Drugs in Teenage Cultism” at the panel discussion on “Finding Solution to Teenage Cultism: A case study of Uyo High school”, organised by Rotary Club of Uyo Metropolis in collaboration with Lions Club, Uyo, Jaycees Club International, Global Shapers and Toastmasters.
Bassey who expressed concern over the alarming rate of youths involvement in illicit drugs business, heinous crimes such as rape, banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping as well as cultism among secondary schools children in recent times advised the state government on the need to introduce drug testing in secondary schools as a way of detecting students whose violent actions were being influenced by abuse of hard drugs.
She said, “I resumed here four months ago, and in four months the NDLEA, Akwa Ibom State command has seized 165kilogrammes of hard drugs from 105 youths. It could be shocking and very alarming to see that last week, August 6 to be precise, a 26-year-old male was arrested with 1.2031kg of Cocaine worth N25million, the highest seizure in Akwa Ibom state in 18years. What will a 26-year-old be doing with N25 million? On finding solution to teenage cultism, my take on this is that we should look at the protective factors and how to bring children out of cultism in Akwa Ibom State. Parents need to know how to develop their ward.
“We (NDLEA) enjoin the commissioner for education Akwa Ibom State that before you send the students back to Uyo High School, you should get drug test-kits, let them be tested before they are reabsorbed into the school. Heinous crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, rape, cultism are all hinged on hard drugs.”
In his opening remarks the commissioner for information and strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong said the collaboration of the non-governmental organisations became important so that the impact of their humanitarian services could be felt more in the society.