Security agencies and civil society organisations have identified substance abuse among young people as a major factor driving terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, and other violent crimes in Nigeria.

Speaking against the backdrop of prevelence of drug abuse in the society at a seminar organised in Abeokuta by the Department of Mass Communication, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, tagged : “Substance Abuse and National Insecurity: Building Responsible Youth Through Entrepreneurship,”the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ogun State Command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed that investigations by law enforcement agencies had consistently linked the use of illicit drugs to violent crimes across the country.

According to him, although Nigeria’s youthful population remains a valuable national asset, failure to provide adequate opportunities and guidance exposes many young people to drug abuse and criminal activities.

“National insecurity does not begin with terrorism or kidnapping; it often begins with small choices made by individuals, choices that gradually destroy self-control, moral judgment and respect for the law,” he said.

Babaseyi added that offences such as armed robbery, cult clashes, rape and cybercrime were frequently perpetrated by individuals under the influence of hard drugs, while criminal networks often exploited drug-dependent youths to carry out unlawful activities.

He disclosed that the command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni, has continued to strengthen intelligence-led policing, community engagement, school sensitisation and collaboration with relevant agencies to address the root causes of crime.

Also speaking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ogun State said substance abuse remains closely linked to violent crimes, including terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry.

The agency’s spokesman, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics (ASN) Haris Musa, who was represented by ASN Yusuf Orisadare, expressed concern over the increasing abuse of cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol, Rohypnol and locally concocted substances such as “skuchies” and “colos”, as well as other dangerous chemical mixtures.

“If drug abuse can be tackled effectively, the issues of robbery, cultism, kidnapping, terrorism, murder and banditry will be drastically reduced,” he said.

Orisadare disclosed that the agency had secured several convictions in recent times, including the sentencing of a 78-year-old man to 28 years’ imprisonment for drug-related offences.

President of the Asiwaju Dapo Wahab Foundation, Dapo Wahab, attributed the growing involvement of youths in crime to hopelessness and economic hardship.

He advocated a combination of effective law enforcement and community-based preventive measures, stressing that entrepreneurship and skills development remain sustainable tools for reducing crime among young people.

“If we refuse to engage and empower our youths legitimately, armed robbers, drug dealers, and kidnappers will come around and empower them. Replacing hopelessness with productivity and purpose is how we secure our communities,” he said.

Founder of M19 Event Consort, Mrs Bola Solate, also described entrepreneurship as an effective means of addressing youth restiveness and social vices.

She urged governments and financial institutions to improve access to start-up funding to enable young people to acquire practical skills alongside formal education.
“An idle hand may become a tool for crime, but a skilled hand becomes a tool for national development,” she said.

In his remarks, the Director of the Centre, Mr Adekunle Durosimi, warned that substance abuse poses a serious threat to national security by pushing young people into criminality and weakening communities

He urged parents, teachers and other stakeholders to pay greater attention to early guidance and monitoring of children, while encouraging students to shun drug abuse, remain focused on their studies and embrace entrepreneurship as a pathway to a productive future.