The Anambra State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Charles Onubuogu, has expressed deep concern over what he described as an alarming rise in the intake of hard drugs among youths in the state.
Onubuogu made the remark during an advocacy and sensitisation session with youths in Awka at the weekend, warning that drug abuse has become a major threat to the wellbeing of young people and the future of society.
“There is nothing beautiful about drug intake,” he said, urging youths to develop the willpower to reject drugs completely. According to him, substance abuse offers no reward but instead destroys lives, describing hard drugs as “killer pills.”
He lamented that many youths are now fully embracing drug abuse, calling the trend frightening and worrisome. The NDLEA boss appealed to parents, guardians and well-meaning members of the public to treat the fight against drug abuse with the same seriousness they accord religious evangelism.
“Please, win souls for the nation,” he said. “Parents should create quality time with their children—relax with them, interact deeply, and observe early signs that may expose them to drug abuse.”
Onubuogu also called on youth leaders, community leaders, faith-based organisations and civil society groups to sustain regular engagement with young people on the dangers of drug abuse, stressing that sensitisation must be intensified immediately.
“The rate at which youths are engaging in drug abuse is frightening,” he said. “That is why NDLEA in Anambra has no other business than to pull people out of drug abuse and help them reject these substances.”
He advised Anambra youths to choose a drug-free lifestyle, noting that a healthy and prosperous future depends on staying away from illicit substances. He further urged members of the public to see the fight against drug abuse as a collective social responsibility.
“If society is bedevilled with drug addicts, then the environment is no longer habitable,” Onubuogu warned.
By David-Chyddy Eleke, Awka
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