Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Rivers State, Voke Emore, has identified drug abuse as a major driver of insecurity and violent crimes among Nigerian youths, calling for collective action to end the menace during a sensitisation campaign at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
The campaign, held on Thursday, 30th October 2025, was organised by the PCRC, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the Rivers State Police Command as part of the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative aimed at building a drug-free society.
Speaking with journalists at the sidelines of the event, Emore said the committee had sustained the campaign for three consecutive years, taking the message to tertiary institutions including the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education and Rivers State University.
Read Also: NDLEA, Partners to Hold War Against Drug Abuse at UNIPORT on 30 October
“Our idea is to drive home the message of the War Against Drug Abuse where our young people—and even some older persons—who fall victim to drug abuse should abstain,” he said. “We have had a lot of deaths and it needs to stop.
One of the causes of insecurity, and a device the enemy uses against young people to commit crimes, is drug abuse. We must all put our hands on deck to keep speaking against it.”
Also speaking, Grace Adeniyi, Assistant State Commander of the Drug Demand Reduction Unit, NDLEA Rivers Command, described drug abuse as a growing social problem that requires proactive prevention and community engagement.
“Drug abuse is ravaging everyone. Our university campus is a place where nobody monitors your activities. You come on your own and stay on your own. Whatever anybody tells you, is your ability to say no, I will not be involved in it. So many of the students coming in are young minds, they are just 16 and above and the elders one will bully them into accepting use of hard drugs,” Adeniyi said.
“A drug-dependent person is a risk to himself and to everyone around. Prevention is better than cure, Dont go into it. You will be able to avoid so much of the crisis because every other vice is committed under the influence of drug abuse.
Representing the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Choba Division, Ahmed Doma, warned that drug abuse increases the risk of chronic diseases and can cause permanent damage to brain function.
Doma reiterated the Police Command’s commitment to a drug-free Rivers State, urging students to remain focused on their studies and avoid substances that could jeopardise their future.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, commended the organisers for choosing the institution as a platform for advocacy. He said the campaign was not for mere publicity but to promote ethical and moral conduct among students.
“Our future cannot be built on substance abuse,” he said. “Today, we form a formidable coalition against drug abuse. The War Against Drug Abuse is not seasonal but a continuous campaign. We want to build a Nigeria where youths are not dependent on illicit drugs.”
The event also featured representatives from the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Student Union Government of UniPort, the Bikee Association, and guests from Zimbabwe attending the Rivers International Film Festival.
