The Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA) has taken the campaign against drug abuse to mining sites, schools and markets in Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau.

Miss Judith Ramson, the Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager, on Tuesday  said that the initiative  was  part of its ongoing public drug awareness campaign in the state.

She added that the move was also part of its project “Building Bridges for Peace II: from Insights to Action”.

Ramson explained that the project, supported by the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG), is funded by the U.K. Government.

“We are here to create public awareness on why people, particularly the youths should abstain from consuming illicit substances.

“During the implementation stage of the first phase of this project, one of the feedback we got was the rise in the consumption of illicit substances in communities.

“During our dialogue sessions, it was also observed that a lot of youths learned how to abuse drugs in the markets, mining sites, schools and few other places.

“Our aim is to drastically reduce, if not end the rising cases of drug abuse and circulation among young people in Riyom and by extension Plateau in general,”she said

Speaking, Mrs Ku’ulyidam Hassan, an Assistant Commander of Narcotics in the Plateau Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), thanked YIAVHA for the initiave.

Hassan, who decried the rise in substance abuse in the state, particularly in mining sites, described the move as a positive steps towards tackling the menace.

“We are quite disturbed because a large number of our youths indulge in drug abuse.

“For us, the future is bleak for Plateau and that is why all hands must be on deck to ensure that we take this message to the four angles of the state.

“Those that haven’t started indulging in drug abuse, we will catch them young, while those that are in it already, we are here to encourage them to desist from it and turn a new leave,”she said.

Hassan, who particularly decried the rise in the number of young girls who indulge in drug abuse, called on parents and caregivers ensure proper parenting and guardians for their wards.

Some of spots visited included a major mining site at Farin Lamba, Government Secondary School, Riyom and Makira Market, also in Riyom.