There is an urgent need for all stakeholders to coalesce efforts aimed at checkmating the menace of drug abuse and cultism, Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, Anengi Claude-Wilcox has said.

Claude-Wilcox said this on Thursday, August 29, 2024 during a Community Awareness/Sensitization programme on Drug Abuse, Cultism and Sexual Harassment organized by the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Bonny Division in Bonny, Rivers State. 

Represented by the immediate past Vice Chairman of Bonny LGA, Omoni Longjohn, the CTC Chairman commended the PCRC in Bonny for organising the programme, stating that stakeholder synergy to nip these social menaces in the bud had become critical.

“We are all aware of the insecurity situation and what it is costing us. It’s both a personal problem and a societal problem. So, we need to come together to nip this menace in the bud.”

“Drug abuse and cultism go together, anywhere you find one you also find the other. They are intertwined. We have a responsibility as a people to address this issue.”

“There’s need for sensitization, the message has to be passed until it makes the right impact. So, we need to cooperate and share relevant and timely information with the security agencies, information sharing is very key.”  

Presenting a paper on Community Policing, the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, who was represented by the Area Commander, Bori Division of the Nigeria Police Force, Gumel Ali, explained that community policing is a partnership between the police and the community to achieve peace and security.

He stated that community policing aims at strengthening security and assuring the citizens through participation of the commitment of the Police and other security agencies to their security while they go about their lawful businesses.

Ali further explained that the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), was established in May 1984 by the then Inspector General of Police, Etim Inyang, with the mandate to assist with crime documentation, intelligence and information sharing, and suspect identification, among others, asserting that without the community achieving security is impossible.

The Bonny Chiefs Council, speaking through its Chairman, Se-Alabo Dagogo Claude-Wilcox, MON, saluted the ingenuity of the PCRC in organizing the event, assuring of the support of the Chiefs in efforts geared towards ensuring a safe and secure environment for Bonny people.

In his goodwill message at the event, the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (NNFOB), Bonny, Capt. Maksum Mohammed, who was represented by the Regulating Officer of the NNFOB, Lt. Bello Muhammad, stated that the Nigerian Navy is collaborating with sister security agencies and the Department of State Services in fighting the menace of cultism.

He informed that, as part of its efforts at checkmating the proliferation of drug abuse, the Nigerian Navy is currently implementing a zero tolerance policy against substance abuse among its officers and ratings, as well as well creating a conducive environment for its personnel to work devoid of sexual harassment and laced with dignity.

On his part, the Commanding Officer, 146 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Bonny, Lt. Col. Oyewumi Oyemade, who was represented by the Operations Officer of the 146 Battalion, Capt. Ernest Nwama lauded the organizers for the programme, assuring of the ongoing commitment of the Army to work with sister security agencies and other stakeholders in ridding the area of cultism, drug abuse and checkmating incidences of sexual harassment.

In his presentation on Cultism, Godwin Ndah of the Department of State Services (DSS), Bonny Division, pointed out that cultism thrives in secrecy, involves ritual practices in its membership initiation and always has negative effect on members and non-members, disclosing that cult groups such as Degbam, Greenlanders, Icelanders, and Bar Beach, among others are operating in Bonny LGA. 

According to him, there is an intrinsic relationship between cultism and drug abuse, explaining that this gives those involved a false sense of security and false self-confidence, adding that, almost always, cult related crimes are linked to drug abuse.

He revealed that factors such as peer group influence, assertion of supremacy, need for protection, search for social identity, poverty, and lack of self confidence are precipitative of involvement with cultism.

Area Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, John David, an Assistant Commander of Narcotics, shed light on the various types of drugs being abused and the negative impact these could have on the human body, especially, the mental faculty.

He regretted that many victims of drugs abuse have lost their sense of reasoning, means of livelihoods, and capapcity to engage with life, warning that unless there is a multi-sectoral and multi-agency approach, as is being promoted by the PCRC in Bonny LGA, the situation will worsen.

The NDLEA Area Commander called on parents and gaurdians to pay closer attention to their children’s activities, while urging sister law enforcement agencies to deepen collaborative engagements to checkmate the menace of drug abuse and its sister vice, cultism.

In their various presentations, the Divisional Officer, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Bonny Division, Mamah Sunday, Chief Superintendent of the Corps (CSC); Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), represented by Solomon Meremikwu; and the Deputy Controller of Immigration, Bonny, who was represented by Ndubuisi Igwe; expressed appreciation to the PCRC for organizing the programme, saying it underscores the fact that it is aware of the menace troubling the society.

They were unanimous on the need for a broadbased awareness creation drive, stressing that parents have major roles to play in the upbringing of their children, adding that this was key to the fight against drug abuse, cultism and sexual harassment.  

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Evomec Global Services Limited (EGSL), Chief Peter Esievo, who was represented by EGSL’s Project Logistics Manager, Prince Ofre poured accolades on the PCRC Bonny Division for putting the programme together, pointing out that the menace of drugs and cultism affects everyone in the society.

He stated that the corporate policy thrust of his company has been that of prioritizing job creation as a way of keeping the youths off social vices, stating that when the youths are occupied in productive ventures they are most likely to stay away from substance abuse, cult-related activities and sexual harassment.

On its part, the Bonny Kingdom Titled Citizens Assembly, represented by its Vice Chairman, Amaopusenibo Fred Pepple described the initiative by the PCRC in Bonny as commendable, appealing to relevant stakeholders to align with the vision of creating a coordinated approach to security issues plaguing the LGA.

In his speech, the State Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Voke Emore expressed delight over the programme and the partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), reminiscing that it started in 2017 during the tenure of immediate past Chairman, Casca Ogosu and NDLEA Commander, Rachel Shelleng.

He noted that “drug abuse, sexual harassiment and cultism are like triplets and these are a constant threat to the peace, and wellbeing of our society”, expressing the hope that the advocacy by the PCRC in Bonny “will not end with this programme but will be carried far beyond this venue”.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the PCRC Bonny Division, Jonathan Hart implored the various stakeholders in attendance to partner with the Committee in tackling crimes and other social vices, stressing that instead folding their arms and complaining, the PCRC opted fro an actionable approach which is to converge stakeholders on the need to address these menaces.

In attendance at the event were the Divisional Police Officers, Finima and Bonny Divisions, Abubakar Sadiq and Anthony Anyalechi, Chiefs and Heads of Captain Hart, Jim-Halliday and Attoni Houses, Se-Alapu Reginald Hart, Elliot Jim-Halliday and Abel Attoni; Environmental Health Officer, Bonny LGA, Rachael Banigo, and Scout Commissioner, Bonny LGA, Ida Brown, amongst others.

Also in attendance were delegations from the Bonny Graduates Forum (BGF), National Union of Bonny Students (NUBS), Bonny Maritimme Transport Association (BMTA), Non-Indigenes Association, Bonny Chapter, Ethnic Nationalities Forum, Bonny Chapter, Boys Brigade, and the immediate past Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Bonny Main Market Traders Association (BMMTA), amongst others.