By Jonathan Ugbal and Itiunbe Atunka
A drugs hideout at the Anderson street in Obudu local government area was recently raided by officials of the Cross River State command of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
This is the second raid in less than a month at the hideout located in the urban area of Obudu.
Residents say “quite a number” of those who sold and purchased Indian Hemp and ‘SK’ were arrested by the officials.
When CrossRiverWatch reached the Spokesman of the command, Mr. Odili Kenneth for comments, he confirmed the raid.
“It is correct and three persons were arrested with cannabis sativa,” Mr. Odili said in a statement to CrossRiverWatch.
He also disclosed that some progress has been made in the enforcement of drug laws and promised to release the information later this week.
In a related development, the Cross River State Government in a bid to seek an end to drug abuse among school children has taken the campaign against illicit drugs to public schools across the 18 local government areas of the state on the need for students to stay off illicit drug intake which has proven to have destroyed many reports CHANNELS Television.
The anti-drug war to schools campaign led by the State’s Commissioner for Health and CrossRiverWatch Man of The Year 2017, Dr. Inyang Asibong and other agencies demonstrated how hard drugs can cause harm to the internal organs of an addict.
“The campaign against illicit drug intake across public schools in Cross River State is gathering momentum following orders by the Governor; Ben Ayade led the government to ensure a drug-free clean record of youths in the nearest future,” Asibong said.
She continued: “The campaign beginning from schools is apt due to the fact that, students and youths constitute a larger map of any nation’s population.”
Addressing the students in their numbers, speaker after speaker regretted the statistics of students involved in illicit drug intake and informed them of the dangers of continuous consumption.
They noted that the addiction to drugs abuse can lead them to failure in their academic endeavours which could further frustrate their potentials in the society.
Beyond the campaigns, the state also plans on setting up rehabilitation centers where addicts can seek help and be certified clean even while the campaign against drug intake intensifies.
Students were taken through the practical aspect of dangerous drugs to avoid while urging users to seek help.
The session with the students was no doubt a rewarding one following series of sensitization against illicit drug intake.
Meanwhile, a leader of the youth in the same street, Mr. Akongwuble Adalikwu is currently been detained by the Obudu Division of the Nigerian Police Force following their invitation by the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Mr. Benedict Agba.
Mr. Akongwuble is said to have led residents to remove the sand in the gutter and used it to block the said Anderson street.
This attracted the attention of Mr. Agba who told CrossRiverWatch that after several pleas, he had to invite the Police.
As at press time, the sand was still on the street with motorcycles passing through a narrow channel.
Mr. Akongwuble’s decision is said to have been greatly influenced by the arrest of his neighbors and suspected accomplices.