By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Nteje community in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, Thursday, abolished uses and marketing of hard drugs in the community, arguing that substance abuse increases crime among them.
The President General of the community, Mr Chidiebele Obika, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen after a meeting of Nteje Development Union (NDU), noted that at expiration of the two weeks grace, the community's taskforce would comb the villages, fish out the culprits and sanction appropriately.
Obika, who noted that if not abolished it could lead to breeding of hardened criminals, adding that "NDU has looked into the rise in petty crimes in the community and concluded that it is fuelled by sales and use of hard drugs in Nteje. Crimes like stealing, armed robbery, rape are the cause of use of hard drugs by our youths.
"You will agree with us that the petty thief of today can graduate into a hardened criminal tomorrow. That is why we have decided that from today onward, every person in this community who sells cocaine or methamphetamine, which is popularly called mkpurumiri, has 14 days, that is two weeks to prepare and leave the community."
Other members of the community who spoke during the meeting decried the rise in cases of rape, attributing it to use of hard drug by most youths.
"You know that many productive youths tend to become useless because of the consumption of hard drugs, even those who should either be in school of in business simply abandon them once they become hooked on drug.
"We want to begin early to salvage our youths. That is why we are saying that sales of hard drug in Nteje land has been abolished from today. Dealers have two weeks to relocate out of the community or face trouble," Obika noted.