August 17, (THEWILL) – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Akwa Ibom State Command, says it has seized a total of 165 kilograms of hard drugs from 105 youngsters within a period of four months.
The state Commander, Mrs. Obot Bassey, disclosed this while speaking on, “Role of Hard Drugs in Teenage Cultism” at the panel discussion on, “Finding Solution to Teenage Cultism: A Case Study of Uyo High School,” organised by the Rotary Club of Uyo metropolis in collaboration with the Lions Club, Uyo, Jaycees Club International, Global Shapers, and Toastmasters.
Bassey expressed concern over the alarming rate of youth involvement in illicit drugs business, heinous crimes such as rape, banditry, armed robbery, kidnapping as well as cultism among Secondary Schools children in the state in recent times.
She urged the government to introduce drug testing in secondary schools as a way of detecting students whose violent actions were being influenced by abuse of hard drugs.
Bassey said, “I resumed here four months ago, and in four months, the NDLEA, Akwa Ibom State command, has seized 165 kilograms of hard drugs from 105 youths. It could be shocking and very alarming to see that last week, August 6 to be precise, a 26-year-old male was arrested with 1.2031kg of Cocaine worth N25 million, the highest seizure in Akwa Ibom State in 18 years. What will a 26-year-old be doing with N25 million?
“On finding a solution to teenage cultism, my take on this is that we should look at the protective factors and how to bring children out of cultism in Akwa Ibom State. Parents need to know how to develop their wards.
“We (NDLEA) enjoin the Commissioner for Education Akwa Ibom State that before you send the students back to Uyo High School, you should get drug test-kits; let them be tested before they are reabsorbed into the school. Heinous crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, rape, cultism are all hinged on hard drugs.”
Giving an overview of the situation at Uyo High school earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, noted that it does not only negatively affect the teaching and learning processes but also persons in the society, stressing that whenever there is an uprising the violence leads to destruction of people’s vehicles, houses and other valuable properties.
Etiebet who was represented at the event by the Director Quality Assurance in the ministry, Mrs. Roseline Mfon, thanked the initiators of the programme aimed at finding a lasting solution to teenage cultism, and prayed that the menace be exterminated in the School system.
“The case of Uyo High school has been at the front-burner in the state, and it is quite serious. It is a source of concern to everybody, both the government and the people of Akwa Ibom State and beyond.
“It has got to a point where even some teachers are living in fear. In that kind of atmosphere, the teaching process is disrupted, the performances of the children are negatively affected. So this is a very big challenge. And I want to thank the organizers of this programme especially for this noble initiative.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Ini Ememobong, said the collaboration of the service organisations became imperative so that the impact of their humanitarian services could be felt more in the society.
Ememobong who disclosed that students would be invited during future discussions noted, “It is our hope that after today’s discussion, we will take it further by bringing the students. And we believe that before this year runs out we would have been able to find the solution to the teenage cultism problem.”
About the Author
