12 ex-cultists, drug addicts graduate from rehabilitation programme in Rivers

A non-governmental group, Youth Rescue International Development Organisation, has recently graduated 12 former drug addicts and cultists from Rivers and Plateau states after intensive transformative training in Rivers State.

The graduates, who were part of sets 17 and 18, underwent a transformative process, with 12 out of 20 young individuals overcoming struggles with cultism and drug addiction.

Nature Kieghie, the organisation’s executive director, mentioned that the programme’s focus on spiritual guidance and support has proven effective in transforming lives and restoring hope to those who thought they had lost their way.

Kieghie, a former Niger Delta agitator, drug addict and cult member himself, shared his personal story of redemption through Jesus in 2003, inspiring his mission to help others.

He stressed that the organisation, which has been operating for nearly 15 years, provides a structured training programme to guide participants towards a path of redemption and self-discovery, just as the graduates were commissioned to spread the message of hope and redemption to others still trapped in similar struggles.

He said: “If I had not shared the transformative power of Jesus with others, they may have missed out on this life-changing opportunity. We charge these graduates to go out and seek those who are struggling so that they too may experience the redemptive power of Jesus and undergo a similar transformation.”

Some graduates shared their experiences, with some planning to acquire new skills or return to school.

Kennedy Ernest said: “I was trapped in drug abuse for a long time, and it was a problem I couldn’t overcome on my own. I saw my family suffer because of my addiction, but by God’s grace, I found this organisation, and I’m now a changed person.”

Ernest credited the organisation’s Biblical training programme for his transformation, noting that no medication was involved. “We only went through the Word, which changed me,” he added.