Makinde Iskil Ayinla, Commandant, Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, has blamed the geometric rise in crime rate in the country on the excessive abuse of hard drugs by criminal elements which in turn make them reckless and wayward.
He made the observation on Friday while receiving the new Kwara State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency( NDLEA), Mr Peter Onche Odaudu, who paid him a courtesy call at the NSCDC State Command in Ilorin.
The NSCDC Commandant, who praised the efforts of the NDLEA in the bid to rid the society of drug abuse and other illegal means of using drugs, decried the high rate of insecurity in the country saying the effect of hard drugs cannot be overemphasized.
” When we are talking about the rise in crime rate in the country there is no way we will not mention the excessive abuse of hard drugs by these criminal elements.
“We talk about the increase in rape cases and you all agree with me that there is no way we can separate the negative effects of drugs,” the Commandant stated.
He, however, promised the readiness of the NSCDC to further improve the working relationship with the NDLEA to check the increase in the use of hard drugs in society.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commander of the NDLEA Mr Peter condemned the abuse of hard drugs by security operatives in the country all in the name of being gallant and successful.
He said the NDLEA is ready to sensitize the NSCDC officers and men on the danger of drug abuse adding that the two federal government paramilitary agencies have been enjoying a result-oriented working relationship and promised to sustain this during his time in Kwara State.