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General News of Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Source: thenationonlineng.net

Illicit drugs fuelling insecurity - Wike

Governor Nyesom Wike Governor Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has identified the prevalence of illicit drugs as the root cause of rising insecurity in the country.

He lamented that the Federal Government was dissipating its energy fighting the manifest symptoms, instead of holistically addressing the major cause of crimes.

The governor promised to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to set up a drug rehabilitation centre in the state.

He spoke yesterday when he received the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

The governor in a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, said people had often thought that the fight against crime in the country should be targeted only at bandits and kidnappers with less attention paid to the use of illicit drugs, which he noted remained the root cause of such crimes.

He said if concerted efforts were made towards achieving a reduction in the level of illicit drug in society, the crime rate would reduce.

Marwa said after he assumed office five weeks ago, the agency had gone out to ensure the reduction of drugs supply across the country.

He said there was much criminality in Nigeria with insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and rape being caused by perpetrators under the use of drugs.