Your column has been literally overwhelmed by the very encouraging reactions from many readers who are now seriously concerned about this matter of drug abuse and are coming forward with more condemnations for the condemnable Chukwumas and Arinzes and their co-travellers among us. Many readers also want to allocate part of the shameful blame on the necks of our Northern Governors who cannot be brave enough to confront their fellow South East Governors and simply lay a complaint towards addressing this matter.
A reader who wants to remain anonymous says: “Imagine if there’s a scourge of armed robbery in the South East and everybody in the region is concerned about the phenomenon and there’s much discussion on proliferation of arms among the youth leading to the armed robbery. And there are conferences and workshops on how to curb and curtail the problem. And then suddenly, a Hausaman is arrested in Arochukwu with a cache of live bullets and some other ammunition. A week later, another Hausaman is apprehended in Orlu with 15 AK 47s. A few days later, yet another Hausaman is arrested in Abakaliki with semi-automatic rifles, more AK 47s and 1,000 rounds of live ammunition. Please and please, just tell me what these people will say about these arrests. Just imagine the scenario. Just imagine the abuse. Wouldn’t they even start their usual lynching of anything Hausa?
The reader continues: “So how come the Northern Governors are so cowardly that they can’t confront their counterparts on this matter? And please don’t tell me how the South East Governors will respond – that they have no control over individual criminals? Did that deter those governors from blaming Northern Governors and leaders and politicians for the mayhem caused by marauding herdsmen, who are in actual fact stateless and faceless brigands, unlike Chukwuma of Funtua and Arinze of Kano who have confessed to be from yonder? Haba Arewa!”
And that is exactly what this column is griping about – and therefore this question should continue to be our refrain: What is a Chukwuma doing in Funtua with truckloads of illicit drugs? What is an Arinze doing in Kano with drugs stuffed in empty plasma television cartons? And, in fact, where is Chukwuma and Arinze and those drugs? Let’s keep asking!
Says another reader: “Wallahi these people are the scum of the earth!”
Dr Saidu Samaila ([email protected]): “Thanks to all those wrote on the above-mentioned topic last week. The reason why those tribal criminals will never vote for PMB is because of some drug related issue which occurred when he was a military head of state. They saw the decree of capital punishment for drug trafficking as targeted at them exclusively. And that’s why they are still fighting him. In their part of the country, you can recall when recently drug trafficking reached the stage where people were gunned down inside churches. Penalizing drug trafficking is an unpardonable offense amongst those people. Last week wallahi I had an encounter with pastor from that section of the country who said PMB should stop fighting corruption so as to allow people to earn a living. For these people to sell drugs, expired food items and fake medicine to their enemies (us, the Northerners) is not a crime, but rather good business. So, since our traditional rulers and elected executives are sleeping, it’s high time we the intended victims (northern parents, youths and children) organize ourselves into vigilantes and conscious watchdogs to stop this trade. Is it not enough that we are losing our children to violent extremism, yet we are still sheepishly allowing those drugs peddlers to destroy what’s left? We must re-register all the drugstores, chemists and pharmaceutical products outlets within in the entire North. This must be done not only by government but by parents and youth groups and vigilantes in collaboration with NAFDAC and NDLEA and state-owned organisations set up for the purpose. The vigilantes must be trained as law enforcement agency informants. Arewa ku tashi ku bar barci! Enough should be enough.”
Yet another reraders adds: “SubhanalLahi! I followed and visited all those links you posted and I saw their criminal faces! What a revelation! I see your point! Gaskiya you know the ins and outs of the Nigerian system! You should be a policy maker!”
Therefore, what is a Chukwuma doing in Funtua with truckloads of illicit drugs? What is an Arinze doing in Kano with drugs stuffed in empty plasma television cartons? And, in fact, where is Chukwuma and Arinze and those drugs? Let’s keep asking!
Dr. Yusuf AbdulKareem Jika, Reader/Consultant Psychiatrist, ABU Zaria: ([email protected]): “Addua’ar mu ga Allah Rahimi/Ya kiyaye Arewa gaba daya/Musulmi da Masihai jimlatan/Har da arna dodannin giya… (Sa’adu Zungur). I deliberately started my response with the above verse of Sa’adu Zungur’s popular poem of Arewa Jumhuriya ko Mulukiya. The menace of drug abuse among the youths in Northern Nigeria is quite alarming. It is beyond the issue of demand and supply as you suggested in your column, rather it is as a result of a failure of leadership in the region. This menace is likely to continue as long as the political leadership cannot provide quality education and employment opportunities to the teeming population of youths in the region. I will end by requesting you to tell the political leadership in Northern Nigeria the truth about the menace drug abuse in the region. And one other thing – don’t forget the local dealers among our people! In bera da sata daddawa ma da wari!”
Let’s keep asking! What is a Chukwuma doing in Funtua with truckloads of illicit drugs? What is an Arinze doing in Kano with drugs stuffed in empty plasma television cartons? And, in fact, where is Chukwuma and Arinze and those drugs?
It seems, actually, the wives of Northern Governors are more concerned about the devastation of drug abuse on Arewa youths than their husbands. In a story earlier this year (“Nigeria: Fight Drug Abuse, Kogi Governor’s Wife Tells Northern Leaders” in Daily Trust of 25 January 2018), wife of Kogi State Governor Mrs. Rashida Bello called on political, traditional and religious leaders in Northern Nigeria to take urgent actions to tackle the menace of drug abuse among youths. She spoke in Lokoja during a meeting of Northern Governors’ Wives Forum. She added that the rate of drug abuse in some of the northern states1 was a call for concern. Many other First Ladies echoed her.
Sadly, this Column has not heard any of the Nineteen Northern Husbands reacting in any significant way or manner, although, to be fair, there was some flurry of activity when not too long ago the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, confirmed the seizure of more than five tons of Benilyn, adding that a major seizure was from a warehouse whose owner alleged that he got his supplies from Onitsha Market in Anambra State. Note the source: Onitsha, Anambra State. Onitsha, Anambra State. Onitsha, Anambra State.
Even the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, last year raised alarm when she said Northern youths, including women, were wasting their lives with drug abuse. She had also urged political and religious leaders in the region to urgently find a solution to the menace.
Madam, we have not heard even ‘pim’ from the First Husband on this crucial, deadly and devastating matter.
Let’s keep asking! What is a Chukwuma doing in Funtua with truckloads of illicit drugs? What is an Arinze doing in Kano with drugs stuffed in empty plasma television cartons? And, in fact, where is Chukwuma and Arinze and those drugs?
Haba Arewa!
