By ENITAN ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
The National Association of Seadogs, popularly known as the Pyrates Confraternity, has raised serious concern over the alarming surge of drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Asaba, Delta State, warning that the situation now poses a grave threat to public health and security.
In a strongly worded statement, the Capoon of the Vito Corsica Deck, covering Aniocha/Oshimili and Ika Federal Constituencies, Mr. Michael Chukwuma Nwaidei, expressed deep frustration at what he described as the complacency of the Delta State Government and its relevant agencies in addressing the growing drug menace, particularly among young people.
Nwaidei identified a notorious hotspot along Okpanam Road—by Alpha Bykees Petrol Station, near Sweet Spirit Hotels—where, according to him, young men openly trade in hard drugs, even in broad daylight.
“That particular junction has become a lawless zone,” he said. “Every day, these young boys run under the tunnel to collect drugs and then freely sell them opposite Alpha Bykees Petrol Station, near Playlearn School, and at the Midwifery Market junction. The brazen nature of these activities is disturbing.”
He lamented that despite repeated calls and reports to the authorities, no significant action has been taken to clamp down on the illegal drug trade, allowing the menace to thrive unchecked.
The Pyrates Confraternity warned that continued neglect of the problem could plunge the community deeper into crime, moral decay, and insecurity.
“Drug addiction not only destroys individuals but also breeds other dangerous social vices that can destabilize our society,” the statement read.
The group called on the Delta State Government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to immediately intensify surveillance and launch decisive enforcement operations in the identified drug hotspots.
“We appeal to the authorities to act swiftly and save our youths from this creeping epidemic before it spirals beyond control,” Nwaidei urged.
