Former President Muhammadu Buhari has called for more investments in youths to curb drug abuse as he urged law enforcement agencies to intensify the fight against the menace. 

Beyond this he said, the underline causes of drug abuse such as poverty and lack of opportunities must also be addressed.

Buhari was speaking on Sunday as a special guest of honour during a one-day Maiden Annual Dialogue organized by the Katsina State Consultative Forum at the Presidential Banquet Hall, General Muhammadu Buhari Government House, Katsina.

The theme of this year’s maiden annual dialogue is: “Menace of Drug Abuse Among Youths”.

“This is not a challenge one person or group can tackle alone, we all have a role in curbing drug abuse,” he said.

“We can’t afford to watch drug abuse dismantle their potential and the country’s future.

“I, therefore, urged all to unite and act decisively against drug abuse in the state. We must not turn away from this self-inflicting suffering of our youths. We need to confront this issue collectively with determination and resolve.

“Youths should not allow themselves into drug abuse, believe in yourselves, your abilities, and your future. I know the challenges you face are many but you should be apt to it. We will work together to offer you the support and opportunities needed to resist the menace.

“Let us stand together for the sake of our youths and the prosperity of our state.

“Law enforcement agencies to increase effort against drug trafficking and distribution. Beyond that, we must address underlined causes of drug abuse like poverty and lack of opportunities.

“I am committed to supporting Katsina State, I urge everyone to leverage their respective influence with the necessary resources, policies, and programs needed to fight this challenge to our future. Our youths hold the key to Katsina State’s future,” he noted.

In his remarks, the Chief Host and Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda represented by his Deputy Faruq Jobe described substance abuse especially among the youths as a catastrophe affecting all stairs of life from health, education, economy, and psychosocial well-being which in addition leads to crimes and other social vices.

He announced that the State Government is not relenting in the fight against the menace of drug abuse by ensuring that youths are engaged productively to become self-reliant.

According to Jobe, the recently established Katsina Community Watch Corps and Katsina State Hisba Board along with the decision to strengthen the authority of traditional and religious institutions is to restore peace and address the menace of drug abuse and other vices.

He further shared with the gathering, various initiatives of the state government within the period of its seven months in office.

He however, stressed the need for more synergy between the security agencies and other government-established institutions to address the issue, advising that an operational committee comprising of all security agencies and government departments must come together to fight the issue of drug abuse in the state.

On his part, the guest speaker, and former Katsina State House of Representatives member Usman Bugaje stated that 90 percent of Nigeria’s problems are associated with drugs. He claimed that a substantial number of people holding political offices are on drugs.

According to Bugaje, some politicians make provisions for drugs especially cannabis in their campaign budget.

“We cannot continue to rely on Government and law enforcement institutions as they currently are, with most of them infested with people on drugs on duty and in uniform.

“I can’t remember any statewide or national problem that has been solved by our States or Federal Government in the last quarter century. Many projects are work in progress.

“Finally, the message of this paper is that the Nigerian drug problem is the one thread that runs through all its decaying institutions and fuels the continuing conflicts and insecurity in
the country.

“At the moment, it is the greatest threat to its survival as a country. Therefore,
for Nigeria to survive and thrive, the menace of drug trafficking and consumption must be addressed squarely. It is a national emergency.

“Unfortunately, those we are waiting for to act either under the influence of drugs or are benefiting personally from the drug enterprise. So, we can’t wait for them, rather we have to start the fight from its base, i.e., the community.

“Once the communities rise against drug abuse, the game will change and we will have an opportunity to re-set governance to give the issue the priority it deserves.

“Katsina Consultative Forum should push the frontiers and make Katsina a model of drug-free communities. This should be able to create further opportunities for salvaging our society from the host of other challenges and allow us to survive and thrive in the competitive environment of the 21st century,” Bugaje stated.

In his message, the Chairman of the Katsina Consultative Forum Aminu Danmusa expressed happiness with the robust discussion. He pledged to go back to the drawing board with members and involve other critical stakeholders like state government, civil society organizations, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, as well as community leaders, and come up with an action plan.

“I am happy with the robust discussion we had in this dialogue, now it remains for us to go back to the drawing board, sit among ourselves, and involve other critical stakeholders like state government, civil society organizations, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, as well as community leaders and come up with an action plan. We assure to give action to our words,” he said.

The Katsina State Consultative Forum has come up with this initiative to dialogue on the menace of drug abuse which leads to crimes and lawlessness that, at the moment remains one of the greatest concerns to the country.

The three-hour dialogue was also attended by students of various secondary schools and youths groups across the state.

During an interactive session/question and answers, relevant discussants submitted that foreign culture should be rejected and the government must support the crusade against the menace of drug abuse.

According to the Directorate of Planning, Research, and Statistics in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), a total of 3,140 persons were arrested in connection with drug abuse in the North-West zone from January to December 2022.

Of this figure, 3,060 are males and 80 are females with Katsina constituting 1,126 males and 25 females followed by Kano state with 1,060 males and 32 females.

And from September to November 2023, 242 suspects were arrested in Katsina State, out of which, 231 are males and 11 are females.