Former Bayelsa Senator, Ben Murray Bruce has alleged that most kidnapping and violent crimes committed across the the country are drug-induced.
Making this allegation in his common sense series, the former lawmaker lamented the upsurge of substance abuse among Nigerian youths.
Naija News reports that easy accessibility to hard drug had contributed to the widespread abuse of the substance.
He said, “In recent times, there have been an alarming rise in substance abuse among young people in Nigeria, with devastating effects on the individuals involved , their families and the society at large; This issue is no longer confined to cosmopolitan areas, but has spread to rural communities in every part of Nigeria, leading to a surge in fatal overdoses and a disturbing number of individuals, suffering from severe mental health issues as a result of drug abuse; It is a known fact that most of the kidnapping’s and violent crimes across the length and breadth of Nigeria are drug-induced and many of these crimes are committed mainly to support their addiction.
“It is bad that in Northern Nigeria for instance where glue and bones from skeletons are now used to make illicit mind bending substances, Southern Nigeria is no better and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed that the Lekki axis, particularly the Lekki area in Lagos harbors a high concentration of drug lords and leaders making it a hotspot for drug-related activities. Furthermore, the prevalence of substance abuse in Lekki is not limited to any socioeconomic class, affecting both the affluent and less privileged members of the the community.
“A wide range of drugs including cannabis, cocaine, codeine, heroin, meth, skunk, colorado, Canadian loud, tramadol and rohypnol. This accessibility has contributed to the widespread abuse of these substances, we now have a pandemic.”
The former lawmaker further called on the federal government to pay urgent attention to the growing abuse of substances among Nigerian youths.
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He disclosed plans to launch a campaign to compel the federal government to declare a state of emergency on drug abuse.
