There are reports that 3 million bottles of Codeine is consumed daily in Northern part of the country. Recently the Federal Government banned the importation, production and use of Codeine in the country due to excess usage and addiction to the drug by youths and even adults. This ban came after the viral BBC documentary on drug addiction in the Northern part of the country. Joyce Remi- Babayeju takes a holistic look at the lingering drug disaster that is threatening Nigeria’s future.

25 year old Muhammed Awal, with sleepy red eyes was spotted with an empty bottle of Coflin cough syrup which he held under his nose. The young man seemed to care less of happenings around him as he forces sheepish smiles when I walked close to him. ‘’Aunty, good evening ma, he said, as I drew close to speak with him.




You just finished taking this cough syrup, and you’re still holding on to the empty bottle, I asked him. ‘’I take up to three bottles a day and l spend more than three thousand naira to get myself high’’, he responded.

Awal who claims to work as labour is a regular at a drug hangout located at Karu Abattoir , behind Karu Primary Health Centre in the company his peers who are also neck deep in smoking of cannabis commonly known as ‘’Igbo’’ and other substances.


Read more : http://nigerianpilot.com/tackling-nigerias-drug-disaster-2/