The pro-democracy group, Network Against Corruption and Trafficking on Friday, collaborated with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency to hold a road walk sensitization against the use of hard drugs in an Abuja community, Abattoir.
The sensitization came on the heel of an investigation carried out by NACAT where the group discovered that Abattoir, located close to an animal Market in the Karu axis of Abuja by the boundary between the FCT and Nassarwa State, is a major hub for the sales of illicit drugs like Crack, Codeine, Molly, Tramadol, Refnol, Rochi, Arizona, Loud (Canadian and Ghanaian loud).
A primary Abattoir drug dealer, who spoke to NACAT on the condition of anonymity during the investigation, said the drugs are mainly bought in bulk from Delta State, Benin City in Edo State, and Ibadan. He noted that they are hidden in food items like bags of garri, rice, cattle, etc., and transported to Abuja.
The road walk sensitization which started at ECWA junction in Karu, saw the group in company of the personnel of the Abuja command of the NDLEA, walk through Abattoir and ended at Abacha road, Karu.
With various banners and placards that read “Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Drugs,” “Spot the sign, break the chain,” “Your Potential is Limitless Without Drugs,” “Love Yourself: Break Free from Substance Abuse,” “Say no to drug trafficking,” among others, the group walked through the area while sensitizing the residents against the use of hard drugs.
In his address, NACAT Operational Manager Stanley Ugagbe, who cited section 11, Part II of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act which prohibits anyone without any lawful authority from importing, manufacturing, producing, processing, planting, or growing, drugs like cocaine, LSD, heroin, or any form of illegal drugs, warned the residents of the area against the use of hard drags.
Ugagbe said “acting upon a scoop, we conducted a clandestine investigation and uncovered how hard drugs are sold in broad day light in this area and that is why, as a group that is committed to the fight against drug trafficking, we are here today to sensitize the people against the gross implications of hard drugs”.
He noted that hard drugs are “not only dangerous to the people using them but also their families and the society at large. When able-bodied men who ought to be contributing meaningfully to the project of nation building resort to hard drugs, we will lose them to those drugs”.
The manager maintained that the law is clear on the use of hard drugs and urged those who are selling these drugs to put an end to the business and find legitimate businesses to do. “There are so many legitimate businesses you can do to make a living in this country. We are appealing to the sellers to put an end to this business that has become a menace in this area”.
Referring to those who patronize the sellers, Ugagbe said “if you starve the sellers of patronage, the business will die a natural death”.
On his part, NDLEA FCT Command’s officer in charge of sensitization, Nduka Augustine, lauded NACAT for taking this initiative to come and talk to residents from old Karu ECWA Church junction to Abacha road sensitizing them against the dangers of getting involved in drug use, drug trafficking and drug peddling.
He said the chairman and chief executive officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa has graciously said “the war against illicit drug use is not something the government can do alone” and that is why they are happy when NGOs take the initiative to collaborate with them as they talk to all segments of the society such as school children, market women, churches, religious houses and mosques to sensitize them against the dangers of getting involved in illicit drug use and trafficking.
Augustine said the NDLEA is doing so much to ensure that “we lessen the impact of these drugs on our society, on the population in general. There is marijuana, there is crack cocaine, there is cocaine, there is Colorado, there is methamphetamine, ice, there is Rohypnol, there is Tramadol, and there is Pudding cough syrup.”
He noted that the NDLEA is particularly concerned with the banned substances. “That is why this morning we are happy working with Network against Corruption and Trafficking. And we are welcoming other NGOs, community based organizations, religious bodies.”
Thanking NACAT “for what they have done today,” Augustine said “we look forward to more collaborative effort in the future and any other organization, be it the church, be it the mosque, be it the community base organization, be it the town union meeting, you are free to invite the NDLEA, and they will come there and talk to your people against the dangers of getting involved in illicit drug trafficking and abuse. Thank you very much and God bless you all as we stay off drugs in our society”.