Hannah Anthony
Ever wondered if there’s a connection between the crime rate and the treacherous world of gateway drugs? 65.22% of Nigerians have experienced being mugged or robbed. Home break-ins resulting in stolen belongings stand at 64.34%. 62.39% alleged being physically attacked, with car theft affecting 62.32% of people as recorded in the Crime in Nigeria-Statistics and Facts report.
Abule, in Lambe, Ifo Ogun state, a trajectory of drug abuse?
Abúlé in Lambe Town is a replica of a tight-knit rural hood predominantly of young people with the pace of life looking slower. Several young people can be noticed looking tattered and lurking around; and the majority with wraps of cannabis, and sachets and bottles of alcohol of different brands. A place where the spirit of bright prospects and hope for a better future seems to have taken a vacation, a reflection of lost dreams and abandoned aspirations.
“Many of the young boys and girls in this hood dropped out when in Junior school. Their parents, especially their mothers, sell vegetables and foodstuffs in the Lambe Market; they can’t afford the financial demands of private schools in Lambe.
In Abúlé, smoke from cannabis in its herbal form, wrapped in a piece of paper – similar to a cigarette, in between the fingers of all-weird-eyed young men floats about, the scent creates a cloud-like effect, and a portable speaker abandoned on an empty trader’s table plays a weird loud song, “A caption of Abúlé, on any cruising weekend
In Abule, dilapidated houses, constructed with decaying materials, can be sighted from a distance, a response to the stagnant state of progress in this forgotten corner of civilization.
ICT centre, A constituency Project abadandoned by Hon Isiaka A, Ibrahim
A distance away from the Lambe Inside market into Abúlé is an abandoned building painted green, with an inscription on a marble “ICT Computer Centre built as a constituency project for the community by Hon. Isiaka Ayokunle Ibrahim (MHR).”
Sadly, this building has been under lock and key putting a halt to all learning activities since 2019. An anonymous source revealed. The building was supposed to be a constituency project constructed as a computer school building furnished with computers and employed teachers to teach students who enrolled for no fee.
“There’s only one public primary and secondary school in Lambe, the Olambe Community Primary School at Okanlawaon Bus Stop, and the secondary school is at Purposeful.
Sukura Lasisi, the mother of a teenager who is battling an addiction to cigarettes and cannibals, says hard drugs are available at all the ‘Aboki’ kiosks, near their houses and even in their hoods. “The young boys go there to buy, smoke in the open and do whatever they want, hard drugs and illegal substances consumption is a regular thing here. Everyone in our community sees it as normal. It’s a way of life.
“They don’t have any definite job they do. Those who had the opportunity to learn handwork and trade abandoned them. Many of them stopped going to school at age 14. All they do is play betting games, get involved in cult rivalries, fight and steal,” an elderly man, Baba Mufutau says. How disheartening, Omolola says her neighbours’ minor children show signs of cannabis consumption.
“My neighbour’s children ages 11 and 13 indulge in the habit of smoking. I am not happy about this because by the time these children grow older, they may follow the path of the young men in the hood. It is heart-wrenching,” she adds.
Physical surroundings of a child’s home and neighbourhood shape their behaviour and beliefs. So, a child’s exposure to a hostile, pervert or violent environment would likely adopt negative social values. The high rate of drug addiction by minors and young people in Abule has reached an urgent breaking point. These souls are tragically trading away their possibilities in exchange for fleeting moments of highs and ecstasy.
Surge in drug use, abuses and effects in Abule
On a regular day in the street of Lambe, one cannot but pass by noticing the presence of young boys, in clutters, their minds clouded by the intoxicating haze of drugs and acts of violence. In the productive hours of each day, Abule young adults are aimlessly roaming in the wildlife of destruction and crime. As early as possible the concern of these young people is the pursuit of temporary highs. Sadly the threats of drug use among these young people is extending far beyond its possession charges and health implications. Crime is now on the rise.
From burglary to rape, stealing to shoplifting, the offences committed by these high-risk hard drug users are distressingly extensive. This revelation sheds light on the complex web of criminal activities that can entangle those in the clutches of drug addiction.
A common incidence is gang rivalry, fights etc. In some of these fights and gang rivalries, some were gunned down in the cause of confrontation with security forces during cult rivalry. Some died from kidney, liver and heart problems as a result of the effects of hard drug consumption and more.
What is the Police doing?
“A significant number of these Abúlé boys have severally been apprehended by the police for a range of other crimes,” revealed anonymous sources. Despite this no meaningful change is seen.
A confirmation of this alarming reality can be found within the pages of the 2021 World Drug Report where the projections paint a bleak picture of a nation struggling to curb the insatiable appetite for drugs. The relentless battle continues to seek ways to vanquish the harrowing consequences of drug abuse, which plague not only individuals but also society at large.
While the government and law enforcement agencies collaborate with international partners, health authorities and social workers, employing a myriad of strategies to combat this formidable foe, hope is not yet in sight. If any.
Despite efforts by Police and NDLEA, neighbourhood like Abule in Nigeria finds itself locked in a disheartening battle against an ever-growing demand and use of illicit substances especially by minors and young adults.
The Way Forward
If efforts are not stepped up, the sanity of Nigeria’s future leaders may be controlled by drugs. NGOs, stakeholders, international organizations and concerned religious bodies must join in the battle against drugs as many young Abule residents grapple with soaring drugs.
Abúlé, and many of the illicit drugs-practicing inner cities in Lambe Town, require comprehensive and intensive grassroots awareness campaigns to educate the population about the risks and consequences of illicit drugs.
Advocacy for radical change must be sustained and establishment of a redemptive social change movement across the area is needed. Drug dealers, cartels must also be arrested followed by a clear will to punish deterrent. Besides, educational programs and creative awareness campaigns targeting specific audiences and demographics, spreading across all inner areas in Abule, promoting drug-free lifestyles would go a long way. Everyone, including community leaders, religious bodies, schools, NGOs, and concerned international institutions must pursue a safer, drug-free society.
