Lagos Island, Exeter, NDLEA And The Rest Of Us -By Rdwan Azeez-Eleto

It’s no doubt that drug abuse has become a serious problem in our society today. The rate at which drugs are being consumed and abused is indeed worrisome and alarming. It can be seen at every nooks and crannies of our society, though it’s not peculiar to the youths, but it’s rampant among the youths.

It is promoted majorly by the movie and music industries due to the fact that hardly can one watch a movie without finding scenes where drugs are being abused. Musicians also abuse drugs to conquer stage fright and suppress stress. These days, some youths are found in broad day light abusing drugs on the streets while many of them have become mentally unstable because of the act.

The brazen abuse of drugs by some celebrities and influencers make the fight against drugs look complicated to the ordinary consumer. Any arrest made as a result of drug offences doesn’t pass the test of time especially if it involves a ‘big person’. This amidst several other factors usually makes fighting drug abuse holistically difficult.

What happened today at patey street Lagos Island is an example of the complicity in the fight against drugs. As a typical islander, there’s no gainsaying that drug dealers are the big spenders and ‘successful’ people in the community. Not only that, they are always at the mercy of any government in power, this amidst several other factors make it difficult to convince any youth not to indulge in drugs.

The Nigerian System at large favors drug dealers than a legit hustler, it’s not a fallacy, it’s the bitter truth. Any drug dealer arrested is always confident of his release within the shortest of time, hardly do we hear of any drug dealer being convicted, this raises questions for a discerning mind.

NDLEA raids won’t still bring a lasting solution if the sources where these drugs emerge are not addressed. Imagine raiding and carting away drugs yet the dealer is still a freeman, why can’t the dealers be identified and all apprehended. Yes, that can be done without an innocent person paying the price with his life unless you want to tell me NDLEA officers aren’t intelligent enough.

In as much we citizens have a roles to play also in this fight, our efforts would be in futility if parallel efforts are not done by the government also. It’s not by coming out and start shooting, it’s by intelligence gathering.

Identify these drug dealers, prosecute them and attack the source, then see drugs start going into extinction in our society. It’s not a rocket science, it is what is!

May Sanity be restored in our county!

©Ridwan Azeez-Eleto.