I am sick and tired of the hypocritical ‘political correctness’ and intimidation by way of claims to ‘hate speech’ in the matter of drugs addiction among Arewa youths. We are gradually losing our youths to drugs - and the gradual has since become rapid. We must therefore call a spade a spade - and whatever a shovel will say, let it!

The other day I visited an inner-city neighbourhood in Kano City for a midday meeting. The young boys I saw all appeared stoned, high, drugged. When they spoke (“A gama lafiya Honourable!” and “Me za mu samu ne Yallabai?” etc), they eliminated all doubt about their state of mind; the slurred speech, the gait, the mannerism, the unkempt hair, the I-don’t-care-attitude all combined to tell me this is, sadly, an almost lost generation.

Over the past year, I have attended dozens of conferences and roundtables on drugs. Over the same period, I have heard our elite and leaders speak on this epidemic, pandemic, that has almost completely annihilated a whole generation. All speakers condemn, cajole, appeal, warn, but none seems to be addressing the crux of the matter - SUPPLY!

And that’s what I’m going to do today as I did recently at yet another roundtable where I was quoted to have blamed a minority within a certain ethnic group of being the major suppliers of drugs to OUR, not THEIR, youths. Our youths, and us, are under siege wallahi. And the earlier we jettison all fear of Diaporic Curses by Loud-Mouthed Internet Warriors, the better for us.

Let me say this - I am Hausa-Fulani. Despite my Fulani-ness, I have time without number condemned so-called herdsmen who are mainly Fulani AND who are involved in criminal activities. I again condemn them and call on them to fear God and recant. So, if herders are Fulani, and that’s not hate speech, I see no reason why the identity of drugs traffickers who are destroying our youths cannot be said. Every ethnic group should be courageous enough to do as much - condemn the criminal elements among them. And that’s not asking for too much.

As an academician and journalist, it comes easy, by Allah’s Leave, to be able to do some little research and follow-throughs on this matter. The following are a few illustrations:

“The Katsina State Command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA…said it had…impounded a trailer in Dutsenreme area of Funtua loaded with 24,000 bottles…of cough syrup with codeine in a trailer from Onitsha to Funtua…Among those arrested are Christian Chukwuma and Obiora Chukwuma…”

“A hard drug (Intoxicant) supplier, identified as Stanley Arinze, has been arrested by the Kano Police Command for trying to smuggle hard drugs...The tablets worth N19, 200,000 were intercepted after being concealed inside LG Plasma TV cartons in a trailer along Kano Eastern bye-pass. The man, a native of Anambra State, reportedly supplies Tramadol tablets to Kano and Republic of Niger…” and “Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja…sentenced a man, Mr. Anthony Chidi Ikeab[/b]a, to 14 years imprisonment for unlawfully importing 1.782 kg of cocaine into the country…”

“Officials of the…NDLEA at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos prevented two Nigerians from execution in Malaysia…[b]Onovo Sylvester Henry…and Ufiri Onyedika Emmanuel…were caught attempting to smuggle 2.575kg of methamphetamine to Malaysia where drug offences attract capital punishment. Nnamdi John Kingsley was nabbed while taking delivery of the television sets containing heroin…“ I have also asked in previous articles: “Where is that container of tramadol intercepted a few months ago by a team of patriotic customs officers destined for No. 3, Festing Road, Sabon Gari, Kano? Where are the arrested and named traffickers Mr. Stanley Arinze, Mr. Onuchukwu Benjamin Owulu and Mr. Igboanugo Vincent Tochukwu?”

and And then, if this doesn’t alarm you, nothing else will, ever! “NAFDAC has intercepted 33 containers of tramadol which were being conveyed to a yet-to-be-ascertained location in Nigeria…The disclosure was made by the NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Adeyeye, in Abuja…”

Arewa, are we also drugged? Why would we just sit down and watch people from elsewhere just come and destroy our youths in broad daylight? Why is nobody following up on these traffickers? Where are the prosecutors and the judges who are alleged to be conniving and using technicalities to release - purportedly on bail - these traffickers who more often than not are never arrested again?

I know some economics. I even know many economists - they of the ‘on the one hand…and on the other hand…’ In fact, I even spoke at a Dinner by BUK Economics Students Class of 2008 just last week. I know inflation and what a small salary can’t do; I know scarcity and glut, in layman’s language ‘over-supply’.

My little knowledge tells me supply trumps demand. Elementary economics, as explained on Wikipedia, says “When supply of a product goes up, the price of a product goes down and demand for the product can rise because it costs less.” Key words here: “Costs Less”. We, therefore, must staunch the supply.

It is good that “Two draft bills have been initiated for legislation to tackle drug abuse in the country...The proposed bills are the National Drug Control Bill and National Mental Health Bill…”

This is all good. The Senate President and his colleagues were in Kano recently, and they promised to do something about drugs abuse. Apparently, they are keeping to their words. But is this enough?

The Senate President should listen to the call by NAFDAC DG Prof Adeyeye: “The National Assembly should amend the law such that drug peddlers could be given stiffer penalties…Using drugs is centrally controlled or central nervous system-based which means it hits the brain immediately and it changes the user to somebody else. During the first use and second use, the brain of the user becomes very different because of dependence. The youths are then no longer able to control themselves, and that is where the crimes, terrorism, come in. Therefore, please let the word go out that drug use comes with consequences. Many youths are dying of drug overdose because it is very easy for them to access addictive drugs…”

Our children are massively into drugs because there is massive, unceasing and incessant supply. We must staunch the supply. Then review our laws. Then detoxify our children. Or simultaneously and concurrently.

We all wonder why we cannot bring capital punishment to national crimes such as drugs trafficking and, to be politically-correct, to kidnapping, rape, armed robbery and murder. Is Thailand more sensible than us, for example?

Two NDLEA State Commanders I follow closely are Kano’s Hamza Umar and Katsina’s Maryam Sani who are genuinely as concerned as I am on this very serious matter. This is not to say the others are not making effort, but Kano, Jigawa and Katsina are my immediate neighbourhood.

So, let’s recap - the Katsina Elite (I will here particularly appeal to senior academic colleague the Wazirin Katsina Prof Sani Lugga) should rise and help Maryam Sani of NDLEA and follow up on the Funtua case. The Kano Elite - LEADS of Barr. Aisha Dankani and Concerned Kano Citizens of Alhaji Bashir Tofa for example - should help Hamza Umar of NDLEA to unearth the matter of 3 Festing Road Sabon Gari and ‘drugs in plasma television’.

Pan-Arewa, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Northern CAN, Usman Bugaje’s Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and those Arewa October Youths must just have to collaborate and do something in unison, for once.

We just have to do it, and may Allah make it easy for us.



https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/drugs-arewa-must-defend-itself.html

Aboki na aboki!! Is igbo people forcing the drugs on your throats? You guys are very gullible and vulnerable thats why the wise men from the east utilise the opportunity in your mumuness.

My brothers Keep on supplying them more codeine and tutoline but please try and invest in your home too

Are we the ones supplying them gum and lizzard shit too? Ndiara

Just call me Escobarrrrŕrrrr!!

If you want to stop supply, breakup the country.
The Break Up of Nigeria will stop the Supply

If you agree with me click like
If you disagree with me click share.

If Arewa will be junkies, iPob will be dealers

As natural and aligned as 2 and 3

This man just said the truth, but watch as IPod pigs from the erosion ravaged land will start abusing him.

Honestly I think there is need to introduce the death penalty for all drug traffickers to serve as a deterrent just like Buhari did by decree in 1984

Honestly I think there is need to introduce the death penalty for all drug traffickers to serve as a deterrent just like Buhari did by decree in 1984

Roger3D:
Honestly I think there is need to introduce the death penalty for all drug traffickers to serve as a deterrent just like Buhari did by decree in 1984

Don't forget to include death penalty for skull miners, ritualists, fulani herdsmen etcetera. Anu Mpama

bugidon:
Aboki na aboki!! Is igbo people forcing the drugs on your throats? You guys are very gullible and vulnerable thats why the wise men from the east utilise the opportunity in your mumuness.

My brothers Keep on supplying them more codeine and tutoline but please try and invest in your home too

Haha haha

sekundosekundo:


OPC miscreants and stupidity are one.

SMH! I expect nothing less from a shitigbo!

micheal004:
Don't forget to include death penalty for skull miners, ritualists, fulani herdsmen etcetera. Anu Mpama

Why are you so vehemently defending drug dealers? Are you a prospective drug dealer too? Take my advice and avoid southeast Asia o cos the death penalty there is sure. On the other hand, you can make a killing by selling codeine and tramadol just like your brothers on the streets of Kano

Why buy the drugs? Or abuse medical drugs?

This is where irresponsible upbringing comes into play.

When you have lots of uncatered adolescent children littered everywhere with nothing to do roaming all over the place what else do you expect?

That is what breeds terrorism/religious extremism and drug addiction.

gentiles:

SMH! I expect nothing less from a shitigbo!

Continue expecting shit, kudos to you.

No. Continue to birth more children than u can adequately take care of. The problem here is not drug or drug peddler, the problem of the north is almajiri! children u can not care for. Frustrated,they roam the street, form gangs, and the next thing is an easy way out of their frustration, so they turn to drug.
If the whole Igbos disappear from d north today, the problem will still linger or what do u say of gum and lizard shit that are far more dangerous than codeine? You better nip the problem from d root or your youths might soon turn to sniffing human blood as a solace

I see one thing here " give and take " . if your politicians and religious leaders can encourage your young men and women to be educated just like we southerners, I'm sure your people will all be gainfully employed thereby reducing the need for hard drugs but for political reasons you have decided to keep a vast population of able bodied young men ignorant so that they can be used as a willing tool to win political position.

Again,why are you all breeding children like rat? Poor men marrying four wives and breeding large number of children that they can hardly feed or send to school The end result of this system is that you will have a large population of youths who have lost hope in life thereby taking to drugs as a way to escape reality.

Northern value system really need to change if they will catch up with the rest of us down south. There is urgent need for population control in the North. Each man most have one wife and a maximum of two children. You must embrace western education and emulate the south. Shun religious intolerance and see your people experience prosperity..

Finally leave the drug laws enforcement agency to do their job.There is punishment for both the saler and the taker.

Aboki are just retarded ...thats all I can say...! So the Igbo man Forced them to take the drugs right ?

gentiles:
This man just said the truth, but watch as IPod pigs from the erosion ravaged land will start abusing him.

I will believe you if you worthless vultures...could show where these group are mobilizing to crush Boko boys and the killer herdsmen...

Roger3D:
Honestly I think there is need to introduce the death penalty for all drug traffickers to serve as a deterrent just like Buhari did by decree in 1984

Introduce death penalty for terrorism amd corruption first.

Thieves everywhere...

Death penalty to drug dealers, terrorism, Fulani herdsmen killers, ritual killings. No amnesty what good for the goose is good for the ....

They should ask themselves why they have a drug problem in the North Get my, no such problem exists in the East.

I think we should grant amnesty to all these drug dealers. Hopefully they can decide to lay down their drugs but I'm afraid of large number of junkies that will experience withdrawal syndrome.

Cooly100:


Introduce death penalty for terrorism amd corruption first.

Thieves everywhere...

You sound so pained. Are you an up and coming drug dealer? Or is drug dealing legalized in your community?

Roger3D:
You sound so pained. Are you an up and coming drug dealer? Or is drug dealing legalized in your community?

I know you are a Boko member already...as terror is legalized in your community.

Cooly100:


I will believe you if you worthless vultures...could show where these group are mobilizing to crush Boko boys and the killer herdsmen...

worthless vulture?Abeg take am easy bros.this one is can make sombori to cry a big river.
Just check out his pics taken by my friend in kogi state. A young housa man was seen very early in the morning smoking cigar, drinking water together with bread. This show you the level of hopelessness of this people but yet they keep shouting sai baba

MY Man you are not hausa - fulani you are eighter hausa or fulani

.

Ibo are behind the drugs, deport them all back home.

It takes away the pain and agonies of almajirinhood from them.What else can they do?become bokoharams,maybe.

useless senseless animals.these animals are really mad.those drugs are just normal drugs,but your stupid foolish animalistic brothers have converted those drugs to something else. senseless stupid idiots.