The Anambra State Commander of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Charles Onubuogu, has raised alarm over a rising tide of hard drug consumption among young people in the state, calling for a unified societal response to curb the trend.
Onubuogu spoke during an advocacy session with youth groups in Awka over the weekend. He emphasized that drug abuse offers no benefits and is ultimately destructive. “There is nothing appealing about drug intake,” he stated. “Individuals must develop the willpower to reject it entirely. Nothing rewarding comes from drug abuse; it is a path to self-destruction.”
The commander stressed the urgency of the situation, describing the current rate of youth involvement as “frightening” and “very worrisome.” He argued that decisive and continuous sensitisation must begin immediately. “There is no more time to waste,” Onubuogu said. “The youths are using their whole being to embrace the intake of hard drugs.”
He drew a parallel between the fight against drugs and religious evangelism, urging parents, guardians, and the public to treat anti-drug advocacy with similar dedication. “I call on parents, guardians, and well-meaning members of the public to take the fight against hard drug abuse among youths as seriously as they take evangelism,” he said. “Please, win souls for the nation.”
A key part of his appeal was directed at parents, whom he charged with fostering closer relationships with their children. “Parents should create quality time with their children, relaxing and interacting deeply, to enable them detect any trait that could expose a child to drug dealings,” Onubuogu advised.
He also called on a broad coalition—including youth leaders, community elders, faith-based organisations, and civil society bodies—to engage young people regularly on the dangers of substance abuse. The NDLEA, he reaffirmed, will prioritise rescue and rehabilitation for those already deeply involved. “The NDLEA in Anambra has no other business than to rescue people deeply involved in drug abuse and help them reject such substances,” he noted.
Onubuogu framed the issue as a collective social responsibility. “I call on members of the public to see the fight against drug abuse as a social responsibility of everyone, because if society is bedevilled with drug addicts, then the environment becomes uninhabitable,” he warned, urging Anambra’s youth to “choose the path of a drug-free life” for a “safer, healthier, and more prosperous future.”
This public appeal arrives as Nigeria’s NDLEA continues to prioritise demand reduction and public awareness campaigns alongside enforcement, recognising drug abuse as a significant public health and security challenge nationwide.
