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FIDA Tasks Stakeholders On Illicit Drug, Abuse, Trafficking
International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) yesterday, called on relevant stakeholders to recognise and address the menace of illegal drug availability, abuse and trafficking.
This is contained in a statement by the National President of FIDA Nigeria, Mrs Amina Agbaje, in Abuja to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The Day has as its theme: “Addressing drug challenges in health and humanitarian crises”
“Must more need to be done regarding the prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration of drug abusers into society.
“Let us work collectively to keep our children, the youth and communities safe from exposure to drug use, drug trade/trafficking activities.
“As we strive to prevent further humanitarian crises within our country, particularly as we mark another International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,” she said.
Agbaje said drug misuse was a traumatic experience for both the addict and his or her family and friends, who may feel helpless in the face of the sickness.
She said addiction to any substance, whether legal or illegal, could lead to serious health conditions, adding that certain medications could alter the structure and functioning of the brain.
“It impacts an individual’s self-control and interferes with the capacity to resist the impulse to consume the substance after repeated use.
“We find that under the influence of drugs, most members of the society exhibit irrational behaviour, cause conflicts, overreact on issues, as they lack capacity and the control to do things right.
“Consequently, in a society where all age groups are susceptible to drug abuse, the above poses a serious dilemma,” Agbaje said.
She, however, said all relevant stakeholders should intervene to make the world safe, peaceful with continuous progressive development.
“We must all work together as collaborators, share genuine information about the drug issue, from health dangers to solutions to the global drug epidemic, as well as evidence-based prevention, treatment, and care services in times of crisis,” Agbaje said.
She said to commemorate the Day, FIDA Nigeria raised a huge ‘Red Flag’ and calls for prompt action by all key actors and stakeholders.
Agbaje said the UN classified the menace of Drug abuse and illicit trafficking as a ‘disturbing obstruction to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals’, particularly Goals 3 on health and Goal 16 on peaceful societies.
“As such drug abuse and illicit trafficking are no longer seen as minuscule factors affecting development in society, but a huge menace to the attainment of a peaceful and developed society with a healthy populace.
“ The key purpose of the commemoration of the day is to raise awareness of the major dilemma that illicit drugs represent to society, and to increase action and collaboration in the pursuit of a world free of drug abuse,” she said.
Agbaje said due to the insecurities across the nation fueled by multiple social, economic, political challenges of all dimensions, porous borders and inability to control armed men attacking communities had aggravates the situation.
She said the attacks and the resultant insecurities have displaced millions of people, devastated agricultural production and other livelihoods, cut off essential services, and caused a crisis of protection.
“The frustrations are indeed immense, cutting across all genders and communities in the country with no early end to the conflict foreseeable.
“‘Reliance on available drugs to escape one’s frustrations seems therefore an easy route to take,” Agbaje said.
She said In Nigeria, over 2.1 million people or 300,000 households, are now internally displaced in northern Nigeria, according to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).
Agbaje said the resultant effect was a humanitarian crises situation which must be addressed urgently.
“Populations affected by humanitarian emergencies are particularly vulnerable to substance (alcohol and other drug) use and its disorders, yet treatment and prevention services are very scarce.
“The different types of substances usually abused are readily available and easily purchasable.
“This is wrong and aggressive intervention is necessary with the collaborative effort of all key players, “she said.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned parents to closely monitor their children’s craving for cookies and gummies, warning that some of the products may contain illicit substances being smuggled into the country.
In a statement posted yesterday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said recent seizures by the agency’s officers had revealed attempts by criminal elements to introduce prohibited substances under the guise of everyday snacks.
“As parents, if your kids and young ones always crave for cookies and gummies, you may have to pay a little more attention. There may be more to it than ordinary cookies and gummies,” Babafemi wrote, sharing images of seized packages.
The photos showed colourful pouches of “Cookies Delta 8 Gummies” in flavours such as Hawaiian Rain Pineapple Guava and Thai Mango, labelled as vegan and hemp-derived, alongside the actual gummy products.
The warning comes amid a major interception by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Officers seized two 40-foot containers containing large quantities of cannabis-infused products concealed among legitimate imports such as used vehicles, generators, batteries and fabrics.
The consignment included thousands of Delta-8 cannabis pre-roll cookies, packs of cannabis-infused gummies and other cannabis-infused cookies, with a combined estimated street value of about ?373.8m.
The items were subsequently handed over to the NDLEA.
NDLEA officials described the products, which originated from the United States and were packaged to resemble ordinary vegan snacks with appealing flavours, as an emerging public health threat.
They noted that the attractive packaging could appeal especially to children, students and young people, raising the risk of accidental consumption of concentrated cannabis.
The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has announced plans to partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) to strengthen efforts at combating illegal waste dumping and improving environmental sanitation across the state.
The partnership was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the leadership of the Rivers State chapter of the PCRC in Port Harcourt, recently, where both organisations pledged to work together to restore the Garden City status of the state capital.
In his speech, the Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation in RIWAMA, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the collaboration was in line with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and the Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to promote a cleaner and healthier environment.
Ukoha described the PCRC as a strategic grassroots partner capable of mobilising communities and driving behavioural change through sustained public enlightenment on proper waste disposal.
He expressed concern over the increasing rate of indiscriminate refuse dumping in parts of Port Harcourt, particularly in New GRA, where blocked drainage channels and illegal shanties have continued to contribute to flooding and environmental degradation.
According to him, the agency is determined to intensify enforcement against environmental offenders, warning that unregistered cart pushers and residents who patronise them would be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the RIWAMA Act, 2014.
The RIWAMA official urged residents to embrace proper waste disposal practices and patronise only government-approved waste operators in order to safeguard public health and protect the environment.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee in Rivers State, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for seeking collaboration with the committee in addressing environmental challenges confronting the state.
Emore said the PCRC would deploy its community-based structures across the state to support public sensitisation and encourage residents to comply with environmental sanitation regulations.
He also called on local government councils to play more active roles in waste management, noting that they collect sanitation levies and should complement the efforts of the state government in maintaining a clean environment.
The PCRC chairman described indiscriminate refuse disposal as a serious environmental and public health concern, stressing that sustained collaboration among government agencies, community leaders and residents remained critical to achieving lasting sanitation goals.
Both organisations expressed optimism that the partnership would promote cleaner communities, reduce environmental hazards and strengthen public participation in efforts to ensure a healthier and more sustainable environment for the people of Rivers State.
King Onunwor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly terrorising communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
The State Police Command disclosed this in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, recently.
The suspects were arrested during a coordinated operation at Oyigbo, following directives by the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
Those arrested were Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
The Command said the arrest represented another significant operational success in its ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating in the State.
According to the Police, preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping operations within Rivers State.
The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to their involvement in kidnapping and further admitted participating in several operations carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
The Command said investigation was ongoing, with efforts intensified to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected syndicate who may be connected with the criminal activities.
The Police boss said the operation reflected the implementation of operational directives and the intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc, NPM.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned kidnappers and other criminal elements operating in the State that there would be no safe haven for them, stressing that the Command would relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure that those found culpable were brought to justice.
The Commissioner further assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against crime.
He appealed to residents to provide the Police with credible and timely information capable of assisting security operatives in preventing criminal activities and apprehending suspected criminals.
The Command urged members of the public who may have useful information on the activities of the suspected kidnapping syndicate or other criminal elements to contact the Police through its emergency lines, assuring that such information would assist ongoing investigations.
King Onunwor