Prominent political activist, Dr Muhammad Usman-Bugaje, has said Katsina State is in a dangerous situation over the rampant cases of drug abuse in the state.
Usman-Bugaje stated this, yesterday, during a dialogue with stakeholders on the theme, ‘Tackling the menace of drug abuse among youths in Katsina State’.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dialogue, attended by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, was organised by a group of concerned Katsina elders, Katsina Consultative Forum (KCF).
According to him, a report by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) placed the state in the second position after Bauchi, in seizure of illicit drugs and arrest of dealers and users.
The activist further said that all the horrifying figures and information were despite the efforts of NDLEA to curb the menace.
“Just to avoid doubts, there are six pages of data from the NDLEA on the seizures, arrests and convictions by states for the Northwest. Looking through these figures, we noticed that Katsina keeps coming at the top of some of these seizures and arrests. This should be well noted and the KCF should be able to follow up with the NDLEA to find out ways we can stop the rise in the penetration of drugs in Katsina.
“In another survey done for the whole country, Katsina came second, only next to Bauchi, in terms of arrests of drug smugglers. All these are worrying, and we need to get someone to do something,” he said.
Usman-Bugaje also suggested that measures to reduce the burden should involve the community, government agencies and religious bodies.
He added that preventive measures should target the youth, students, identified sources of the drugs, reasons and risk factors associated with drug abuse in Nigeria.
Earlier, the KCF Chairman, Aminu Abubakar-Danmusa, said the event was aimed at finding lasting solution to the menace in the state.
According to him, the choice of the theme is not arbitrary, but a reflection of unwavering commitment to safeguard the state.
Traditional rulers and other stakeholders also graced the occasion.
