Unguwan Shanu says no to drug dealers

Recently, youths of Unguwan Shanu in Kaduna metropolis, passed a  resolution to rid the community  of the  open sale  of narcotic drugs. The traders comprise of Medicine  vendors popularly called ‘Chemist’, and other miscreants who had modernized the trade of narcotics on the street. The youths united overnight and mobilized themselves and went round and […]

Recently, youths of Unguwan Shanu in Kaduna metropolis, passed a  resolution to rid the community  of the  open sale  of narcotic drugs.
The traders comprise of Medicine  vendors popularly called ‘Chemist’, and other miscreants who had modernized the trade of narcotics on the street.
The youths united overnight and mobilized themselves and went round and ordered all the ‘shops’ to close, and the street traders to leave immediately.
This led to the high turn-out of the elders in the community to support the action.  
Then there was the inclusion of the traditional institution, and the security forces, including the Kaduna office of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The traders who had almost become untouchables, had the backing of some disgruntled politicians who usually go and bail them out whenever they were arrested. While they are alleged to have some informers within the police who tell them beforehand that a raid will be undertaken against them, they will go under cover and they then pay the informer.
It was alleged that a politician had some time ago paid more a thousand naira as bail money for the release of six boys who are his political thugs, and are being groomed towards the next elections in the state.
One of the resident community leaders who is the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Kaduna State Governor Alhaji Mamman Tambuwal, said during one of the meetings that the community will never condone any act of drug peddling or any act of indiscipline.
Before the recent cleansing of the area of drug dealers who operate openly on the streets, the peak of the business commences from seven in the evening to five in the morning, and the off peak period ranges from six in the morning to six in the evening.
The items  sold range from the commonly known weed or marijuana to cough syrups of different brands, and other depressants which are for the use by mentally deranged persons.

But the drug addicts range  from youths, lovers and even the elderly. The youth say they take it to get “high” due to frustration of the hard life where ‘only the fittest survives’. Some youngsters say they had been introduced by their lovers to drugs, and they buy with their money after they had been addicted. Sometimes women say they engage in the illicit addiction, because they suspect that their husbands have a girlfriend outside, or that they have been abandoned when the husband marries another new wife, among other excuses. The elderly say they use it to energize themselves.
What the youth of Unguwan Shanu did is now becoming a trend in Kaduna metropolis and its environs, respectively. These youths organize themselves and went round their areas in their hundreds, and told the drugs dealers to desist from the trade, or they should leave the area forthwith.  
However, the menace has become so rampant that both the children of the rich and those of the poor  exhibit all manner of indiscipline after they had gone ‘high’ by blocking the roads, dressing indecently, fighting, driving recklessly to and from the dealers point of sale at high speed.
Alhaji Mamman Tambuwal said the whole community is happy with what the youth had organized themselves to do for the benefit of the area.
These are the communities of Unguwan Sarki, Tudun Wada, Badarawa and the number is growing of those following the example of the youth of Unguwan Shanu, in eradicating the menace of drug peddling and abuse openly.
The district head of Unguwan Shanu Alhaji Ibrahim Abba Kura ,said he is happy with the unity of the youth of his domain to peacefully mobilize against drug peddling and  abuse.

He said it is sad how many youth have embraced the sad act, which is detrimental to their health and  future.   
Many people during the weekly community meetings called on all members of the community to be stakeholders in this fight against drug peddling. They said it is retarding the mental status of its user ,irrespective of the person’s background.
However, recently the drug dealers had attacked and wounded Abbas Shehu, one of the youth activists in the area, by striking him on the stomach with a blade. The reprisal attack may not be unconnected with the bitter anger shown by the addicts since  they have now been denied their ‘freedom’ of drug dealing and addiction. Abbas Shehu  is recuperating from the injury and has resolved not to be deterred from his decision to change the habit of his peers and younger ones from the sad habit they had adopted. This led  the youth of the area to unite and continue the sensitisation of the entire  people to expose drugs dealers’ activities, and for the betterment of all.