The Imo Government, in collaboration with the northern community in the state, has read a riot act to drug peddlers to desist from all manner of drug abuse forthwith.
Special Adviser to Gov. Hope Uzodinma on Narcotics and Illicit Drugs Monitoring, Chief Ezechukwu Obonna read the riot act alongside the Sarkin Hausa of Imo, Alhaji Auwal Baba-Sulaiman, in Owerri, on Saturday.
Obonna, who thanked the northern community for “agreeing to a healthy collaboration”, expressed confidence that the community’s leadership would provide the necessary support to enable the government address the menace of drug abuse.
He said that available statistics indicate that most of those engaged in crime do so under the influence of drugs.
According to him, the fight against drug abuse was part of a broader effort by the Gov. Hope Uzodinma-led government to tackle insecurity through a preventive approach.
“ We warn all illicit drug peddlers and consumers in Ama Hausa (northern community) and all other parts of the state to desist forthwith or get ready to face the law.
“ This effort is a preventive measure against crime and insecurity, and having gotten the nod of the leadership of this community, we have no doubt that we will achieve our aim “, he said.
Speaking, Baba-Sulaiman said that the community, under his watch, would firmly support all healthy initiatives of the state government including the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
He, therefore directed his palace officials to ensure that the warning message was passed to all settlements of the northern community in Imo.
He, however called for more sensitisation of members of the community so as not to give any room for ignorance.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Northern Affairs, Alhaji Sulaiman Ibrahim, said that the community would deplore its local vigilante, youths and all legal mechanism to collaboratively fight drug abuse with the state government.
The Secretary of the Northern Community Youths, Mr Munkailu Sadiq, described the collaboration as “healthy” while expressing the belief that it would “definitely reduce the scourge of drug abuse to a barest minimum “.