A lecturer at the Faculty of Communication, Bayero University Kano, Bala Muhammad, has pointed accusing fingers at the Igbo drug merchants for allegedly supplying codeine syrups into northern Nigeria.
The lecturer made the accusation while presenting a paper at the Kano Youth Summit on Peace Advocacy and Development, organised by Hamisu Magaji Foundation, at Mambayya House, on Monday.
In the paper titled: “Nexus Between Youth, Drugs, Crime and Insecurity”, Mr Muhammad blamed the Igbos, with the connivance of local people, for the prevalence of drug abuse in the northern region, especially Kano state.
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Mr Muhammad wondered why drug abuse was not prevalent in the Southeastern region, but the Igbo people supply cough syrup that contains codeine for the consumption of the Northern youth.
“Our investigation revealed that drug abuse is beyond normal marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, etc. It has moved to the extent that the medicines we take in order to cure our diseases are now being converted into hard drugs.
“We then discovered that it is the handiwork of the Igbo people, who connive with our local people here, to supply the codeine into our region, especially into Kano state.
“There are many instances where Igbo guys were arrested for supplying codeine into Kano and some parts of the North. The cases have been reported in national dailies.
“So, why shouldn’t they take it to their region? Why don’t their youth engage in drug abuse? This is really sad, and we have to rise up to fight this menace,” he lamented.
Mr Mohammed also blamed court judges for compromise to secure the release of the suspects without trial, noting that it was the reason the problem was deteriorating.
He, therefore, called on the general public to fight the menace themselves within their respective communities, advising people not to disown the youth engaged in drug abuse.
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the foundation, Hamisu Magaji, said the essence of the summit was to enlighten the youth ahead of the 2019 elections.
He decried that the youth, despite their massive contributions to nation-building, were denied access to leadership positions in the country.
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