ABUJA- Some residents of Karu, a satelite town in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have decried an increase in the sale and consumption of illicit drugs and other substances in the community’s abattoir.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, described the development as dangerous to the society.
They expressed concern that the area had turned into a booming market for all sorts of drugs.
According to them, selling and intake of these illicit drugs in the area has become a major concern to residents, and almost uncontrollable for security operatives.
They said that the community and its environs were facing serious challenges as the numbers of those who sell and consume drugs is increasing every day.
Miss Glory Daniel, a resident of the area, said the situation was becoming unbearable and required restrictive measures to help salvage the area.
“Every day after work, I see these boys eagerly approaching passers-by, aggressively advertising illicit substances in small packages.
“Just last week, one of them attempted to touch me in spite of my clear refusal and show of disinterest.
“The presence of these boys is frightening because you can tell they are high on the substance themselves and can harm someone.
“Although the police occasionally conduct raids to disperse them, they tend to find their way back the very next day, undeterred and active,’’ she said.
She said that it was unfortunate that some patrons of the substances were uniformed officers and children of the wealthy, adding that the transactions were usually made in the open.
Daniel said the situation was casting a bad image on society, and putting other lives in the environment in danger.
She said the situation called for urgent attention and the need for relevant authorities to address the trend.
Mr Aaron Oladele, told NAN that the growing problem had made it difficult for residents of the area to have a sense of safety, without looking over their shoulders.
“Karu abattoir has become a popular area to get `weed’ and it has also drawn outsiders to join them in the act, which has contributed to the rising crime rate in the area.
“This is sad and calls for concern by relevant authorities,’’ he said.
Mr John Walter, said that it was quite unfortunate that some of the law enforcement officers were accomplices in the illicit trade.
This, he described as shocking and heart breaking.
“Sometimes you may see security officers in uniform walking up to these guys in broad daylight to buy this substance.
“I believe some of these officers take bribes from the boys and look away, this is the reason why they operate openly.
“These security personnel can actually stop them if they mean to and are serious about tackling the situation,” he said.
Miss Celine Ugochukwu, who sells provisions in the abattoir, expressed frustration over the activities of the drug peddlers.
She said that her legitimate business in the area suffered low patronage because of the presence of the ‘bad boys’.
“These boys hang around my shop, smoking and looking for who to either beg or harass, since my shop is close to their spot.
“It’s affecting my business because once they are high on the substances; they fight and disturb the peace in the area.
“This scares away customers from patronising my shop and this has seriously affected my business negatively,’’ she said.
Ugochukwu appealed to the Federal Government to look into the issue with urgency, adding that the community had suffered the negative impact of drug activity with no improvement.
She said that different Non-Governmental Organisation in collaboration with the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), had held lots of sensitisation programmes in the area to no avail.
NAN reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) describes drugs and substance abuse as “the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs”.
It also refers to a condition in which a person consumes the substance in quantities or with procedures which are not approved or monitored medically.
When contacted, the Commander of Narcotics (CN), NDLEA, FCT Command, Mr Kabiru Tsakuba, said the command has been trying its best to ensure a drug-free environment in the FCT and would continue to do so.
He warned residents to desist from the sale and purchase of illicit drugs, adding that anyone caught would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Tsakuwa urged residents to report incidents of sales of drugs to the appropriate authority.
He added that the agency was ready to work with communities to assist it with intelligence on areas where drug activities were high for effective control.
The commander said that the agency was intensifying sensitisation in schools, churches, mosques and other organisations on the dangers of drugs.
Meanwhile, all efforts made to get the reaction of the Nigeria Police Force proved abortive.(NAN)