By Hajara leman
Alhaji Haruna Abdulrasheed, Emir of Dukku in Gombe State has called for stiffer penalty for drug barons and dealers.
He stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Dukku, headquarters of Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe state.
Abdulrasheed said stiffer penalty for offenders would go a long way in checking the activities of criminals and address insecurity in the country, adding that drug abuse often led to crimes.
“I am calling on the authorities concerned to introduce a stiffer punishment for drug barons; this will go a long way in checking crimes in our society,” he said.
According to him, even when apprehended, after sometime, they will be back in the streets after serving the jail term.
“There is need for stiffer penalty to curb this menace,” he said.
The traditional ruler said that he decided to seek the support of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)in Dukku, to embark on sensitisation campaign on the danger of drugs when he noticed that the problem of drug abuse was becoming unbearable in his domain.
“We discovered here that most people do not know the effect of drugs, instead, they give it to their children to assist them work tirelessly in the farm.
“Gradually when the children become addicted the effect turns back on the parent because the children will no longer be productive thereby getting involved in all forms of crimes.
“It is a collective responsibility, let’s assist the relevant authorities to fight the menace of drugs in our society,” he said.(NAN)
