- Experts warn about growing appetite for drugs among Nigerian youths
Unlike the biblical Samson whose immense physical strength reportedly enabled him to kill a lion with his bare hands, this Samson allegedly strangled his biological mother.
Samson Sikiru, suspected to be a drug addict has been arrested for purportedly killing his mother, a prophetess, in Itanrin Axis of Ijebu Ode in Ogun State.
According to Ogun journalist, Tosin, the 32-year-old suspect strangled his mother to death in the early hours of Sunday, 16th July, 2023.
A distress call was made to Ijebu Rewa Organisation about the sad incident that happened overnight after Samson’s younger brother who was on night shift, had gone to work.
According to neighbours, Samson left home for over five years, only for him to return home a month ago.
His mother was said to have made several complaints to neighbours and security operatives about the suspect using hard drugs.
“A neighbour who wants to be anonymous told Ijebu Rewa that Samson rushed to him in the early hours of today (Sunday) saying that the Prophetess (Samson’s Mother) had slumped and died.
“After the neighbours rushed inside and only for them to realize the mother was strangled to death as evidence of marks were all over her neck and leg, the left hand had broken, there was blood stain mark on Samson’s fingernails.
“The neighbors held onto him and he started saying he does not know anything and how it happened. It dawns on them that Samson was under the influence of hard drugs to have strangled his own mother to death,” the report says.
“It is indeed a sad day for the people in Itanrin axis of Ijebu-Ode. Samson has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force and the mother’s corpse has been deposited at the Morgue for further investigation.”
Expressing grave concern over the growing appetite for drug abuse among Nigerian young population, Dr. Oche Joseph Otorkpa, a Public Health specialist and Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health United Kingdom, said it is an epidemic that must be contained before it gets out of hand.
Part of his statement reads:
“According to the United Nations Population Fund, Nigeria has a youthful population, with approximately 60% of its population below the age of 30. This demographic group represents a significant portion of the country’s workforce and has the potential to drive economic growth and development. However, a growing portion of that population is falling prey to the snares of drug traffickers.
“Drug trafficking in Nigeria has a complex history that can be traced back several decades. The illicit drug trade in the country is fueled by a combination of factors, including Nigeria’s geographic location, economic disparities, political instability, and global demand for drugs.
“In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed an increase in the production of methamphetamine within its borders. Nigerian criminal networks have been involved in the clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine, often utilizing makeshift laboratories and precursor chemicals imported from countries like China.
“Nigerian drug traffickers have also established connections and collaborations with transnational criminal organizations, such as Latin American drug cartels and West African criminal networks. This enables them to access a global market and sophisticated smuggling techniques.
“The significant amount of drugs confiscated by the revitalized National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) from drug traffickers at Nigerian airports over the past two years provides a vivid insight into the unfortunate predicament faced by young people in Nigeria.
“These seizures, occurring within a relatively short period, paint a troubling picture of the pervasive drug trade that poses a grave threat to the younger generation. The repercussions of this dire situation are evident in the rising number of young individuals who find themselves entangled in addiction and dependency issues. Rather than pursuing their educational aspirations and the opportunities provided by academic institutions, these vulnerable individuals are now compelled to seek solace and rehabilitation in dedicated facilities.
“The situation is so bad that teachers have become customers to young drug peddlers within their schools while drug cartels have taken over nightclubs and the entertainment industry training our young people on how best to self-destruct while they smile to the banks with illicit wealth extracted from helpless addicts.
“This must not be allowed to continue, Nigeria like many other countries, must as a matter of urgency address the growing drug appetite among its young population if not the country will have no future.”
But Professor Alphonsus Okoh Alubo SAN’s thoughts on this matter is one that begs for answers. “With the gumbo of security agencies: Customs, NDLEA, Immigration, NSCDC, etc., it is mind-boggling that these drugs are brought in and in some cases, taken out with ease.”
