Drug trafficking & abuse has a 360 degrees negative effect - Nurse Latifat

Nigeria - "Mummy I want Pizza"
The young boy cried

"Shut up, is pizza food?"

"Just leave me alone, mummy please."

Tears trickled down Felicia's eyes as both kids argue.

"Mummy don't mind him instead of him to ask what we will have for dinner, he's talking about pizza".

Felicia wept bitterly and told the children to be patient that she will go and get something for them to eat, with a heavy heart and eyes she walked a very long distance in the big city of Portharcourt, to make matters worse it rained cats and dogs but the strong maternal instincts kept pushing Felicia, even the rain couldn't stop her.

She found her way to the elites estate and security officer stopped her.

"Who do you wish to see madam?"

"Mr. Desmond Briggs".

"Okay what's your name?"

"Felicia, Felicia Okara".

"Alright just a minute.Hello sir , a woman by the name Felicia Okara is here to see you".

"Alright let her in".

Felicia walked in slowly and barefoot, no thanks to the rain her leather slippers cut, the sad woman knocked on the steel door and Mrs. Briggs opened the door and gave her a warm welcome.

"My God you are drenched, sorry. You should have waited for the rain to stop. Don't worry I will get you some clothes to change", Mrs Briggs assured.

"Thanks ma".

Mrs. Briggs served her a sizzling hot jollof rice with chicken and hot tea.

"I am so sorry, I begged my friend to tell you he was married before he died but he refused", Mr. Briggs revealed.

Felicia quickly went on her knees and put  her palms together and pleaded, "please help me, my suffering began the day Vincent died, he did a court wedding with his first wife and so she took all his properties, if I knew he was married I wouldn't have married him".

"Hmm, I heard you have sold your car and kids are now in public school".

"Yes I had no choice, I had to pay the rent and I couldn't cope with their outrageous school fees any longer, help me please I beg you".

"Eat your food is getting cold".

"No I will take it home".

"Look we have more than enough, we will give you more to take home".

Felicia ate hungrily.

"Sweetheart please pack rice in six plastic containers with soft drinks for Felicia. Oh yes add a mini package to it".

Felicia was confused, she wondered what mini package meant. Mrs. Briggs gave her the food and a brown envelope.

"That's your mini package, fifty thousand naira".

"What? Jesus! Thanks so much sir, you shall never lack in Jesus name".

"Amen, this is nothing compared to what you will earn if you can work".

"I am ready to work sir".

"Okay be ready to travel abroad too".

"Really? Obodo oyinbo? (abroad?)

"Yes and soon you will live the life you used to and more, all you need is a single trip".

"Really?"

"Yes".

"Tell me about it, what do I need to do, I am getting more interesting". Felicia confessed.

"All you need do is take drugs to Indonesia".

With that statement Felicia was thrown in absolute confusion and the mini package fell off her hand.

"I am sorry I can't do that", she stuttered.

"Well you will wallow in penury for a very long time and you will continue to be an object of ridicule in case you don't know people are already making jest of you, if you have any shame left in you and if you love your kids you will do it."
Felicia boarded a flight heading to Indonesia, the drug law enforcement officers arrested her at the Jakarta airport after finding drugs in her luggage,she was executed few months later.

Drug trafficking is a global problem, a report in 2012
by International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) submits that Nigeria tops the list with the highest trafficking and drug use in West Africa, According to March 2014 CNN world report, the Mexican drug cartels alone made between $19 and 29$ billion dollars sales per year, The UN's 2007 World Drug Report puts the value of the illegal drug trade at US$322 billion a year, this could only mean one thing, people are willing to do anything for drug trafficking.

I know there are various reasons why people do drugs or engage in drug trafficking such as financial burden as it was in Felicia's case, break ups in relationship, get - rich quickly syndrome, peer pressure, addiction, unemployment etc.

Drugs which are majorly trafficked are cannabis is the most common because it is easily grown and harvested, methamphetamine and cocaine.

Drug trafficking and drug abuse has a 360 degrees negative effect , yes it does stalk not the users alone, the family, community and the nation at large. It hinders development by eroding social and human capital particularly in weak, vulnerable and under developed country like Nigeria.

This heinous crime is more expensive than poverty,Individuals who are dependent on drug or addicted to trafficked substances could suffer psychological, social and psychiatric complications, they become dangerous to their families, community and even themselves.

Take a look at the following scenarios, Miss Aliyu Zainab a student in Kano and another man Abubakar Ibrahim  were falsely accused of drug trafficking. On 26th December 2018, tramadol was planted in Zainab's luggage at the Aminu Kano airport, Zainab spent four months of her life in Saudi Arabia's prison instead of performing lesser hajj (pilgrimage)

This is a young promising lady, she would have been dead and as for Abubakar Ibrahim his death would have have earned his wife another status "widow".

Indonesia which has some of the toughest anti-drugs laws in the world  executed fourteen drug convicts, mostly foreigners, in two batches last year.

Drug trafficking and drug abuse has a 360 degrees negative effect , yes it does not stalk the users alone, the family, community and the nation at large. It hinders development by eroding social and human capital particularly in weak, vulnerable and under developed country like Nigeria.

This heinous crime is more expensive than poverty,Individuals who are dependent on drug or addicted to trafficked substances could suffer psychological, social and psychiatric complications, they become dangerous to their families, community and even themselves.


Today is #InternationalDayAgainstDrugAbuseAndIliccitTrafficking I urge anyone involved in illicit trafficking or drug abuse to please abstain from such, there's still hope even if you have been engaging in it for a decade, see a substance abuse counselor and get rehabilitated.

Join the campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking by clicking on the share button, you never might know, you could be helping someone.



I am Ajetunmobi Latifat,  prettapalomita@gmail.com your HealthTainment nurse pleading with you to stay off drugs and other vices. Thanks for reading.

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