Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State shocked everybody present at the inauguration of a 10-man committee on drug abuse at the council chambers of the Borno State Government House on Thursday, when he declared that some of his cabinet members were drug addicts and asked one of his commissioners if he knew them when he (commissioner) burst into laughter.
The governor, who was reacting to an address by the state commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) when he said it was sad that drug abuse in Borno State has risen to an unprecedented level and has cut across age, sex and various socio-economic backgrounds.
Governor Shettima, who corroborated the commander’s position also said most of the Boko Haram insurgents arrested were found with tramol and psychotropic drugs, adding that, some of the boxes also found in possession of the sect members at various camps included not only weapons, but drugs of different kinds.
It is recalled that the 10-man committee inaugurated by the governor was informed by his efforts to curb drug abuse in the state by complementing the efforts of the NDLEA in the fight against illicit drugs in Borno State.
While inaugurating the 10-man committee, Governor Shettima said apart from the second World war, nothing had consumed more human lives than drugs and that drug abuse is worse than cancer and HIV/AIDS, as such the need to have a committee to control the menace in Borno State.
The governor said people under the influence of drugs can commit heinous crimes such as rape, murder, robbery and sometimes even commit suicide, because the drugs control them, adding that drugs are like forbidden fruits which once tasted, it is difficult to resist.
Source: Tribune
