The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rivers State Command, has condemned the ravaging increase in drugs and substance abuse among youths.
The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Basil Igwebueze, made the remark when he received the Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Rivers State Command, at the NSCDC State Headquarters in Port Harcourt.
According to Igwebueze, research has shown that most wicked crimes are committed under the influence of drugs and substance abuse.
The NSCDC Commandant said the only way to rid the nation of criminals and the crime rate is to unanimously condemn the act from childhood.
The state Commandant of the NDLEA said, “When they say the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, I sit down and begin the picture of the tomorrow that drug addicts will champion.
“If the leaders of tomorrow die today, then tomorrow will not be available.
“So, for us to protect tomorrow, for us to guard tomorrow, we need to be in unity and have a concerted approach to fighting this criminality.”
Also speaking, the Rivers NDLEA Commander of Narcotics, Ahmed Mamuda, who led a team of Senior Management Officers on the courtesy visit, said campaigns are ongoing in various communities across the state.
Mamuda further affirmed that in curtailing sales and intake of illicit drugs and prohibited substances, the NDLEA has been organising reorientation and awareness programmes across communities, churches, mosques, and schools, ls which he said informed the need for NDLEA, NSCDC, and other security agencies to partner and strengthen ties in order to fight the increase of drug abuse across board.
