The Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Abia State, Akingbede Bamidele has told a story of how a teenage boy sold his SUVs valued for N7.5 million for N350,000 in order to buy hard drugs.
He said the incident happened in Umuahia, the state capital.
Bamidele spoke at a workshop on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking for senior secondary school students, organized by the National Committee on Narcotics and Substance Abuse.
He noted that the teenager carried out the act because of his involvement in drugs.
Speaking on the topic “Illicit Drug and the Law,” Bamidele said the teenager was later brought to NDLEA facility by his parents for counseling and rehabilitation.
He said, “There’s a boy at Umuahia that his father brought to us for counseling. He sold two vehicles – a Lexus and a Forerunner worth N7.5m for N350,000.
“Do you know why? The reason is because he was involved in drug abuse and has gotten to dependent stage where there’s absolutely nothing he cannot sell, just to buy drugs.
“It was a situation of keep these vehicles for me and just be giving me drugs. You notice when things began to miss at home that something is wrong.”
The NDLEA commander, also attributed high rate of violent crime amongst youths to drug abuse and consumption of illicit drugs.
“The cult boys that cut the heads of other students at Uturu and used them for goal post, when they were arrested, we went and tested them and it was clear that they were high on drugs and that gave them such mind to severe another persons’ head for goal post.
“You have to be very careful. The young man you saw on the screen was sent to deliver a parcel of which he doesn’t know much about and today, he’s in trouble.
“Ignorance is not an excuse in law. The rich will use the children of the poor to do their illicit drug trafficking,” he added.
