By Paul Michael, Defence Editor, Abuja
The campaign against drugs and substance abuse was on Monday taken to mosques in Katsina State by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as Muslims were attending Islamic lectures and preparing to break the Ramadan fast for the day.
Commander of the anti-narcotic agency in the state, Mohammed Bashir and his entourage were at the Abubakar Sadiq Juma’at mosque, Filin Samji and Rafukka Juma’at mosque, Kofar Sauri, both in the State capital.
Speaking during the campaign at Rafukka Juma’at mosque, Bashir said the campaign aimed at sensitising parents and youths against the illegal use of drugs and hard substances, The Trumpet gathered.
He noted that the move would help in informing parents on measures to be taken on their children to prevent them from using hard drugs.
Bashir added that youths would also be guided on the dangers of drug abuse and its accompanying implications.
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“The purpose of taking the campaign to places of Ramadan lectures is because parents and youths attend the function.
“Religious, traditional and community leaders and parents have a great role to play to assist the Federal Government in fighting the menace.
“If those leaders mentioned above can put all hands on the deck, nobody can engage in selling or illegally use drugs in their communities,” he stressed.
He appealed to the parents to do everything humanly possible to ensure that their children did not engage in drug abuse.
Mr Bashir also called on Islamic scholars to keep using their sermons to sensitise the public about the glaring dangers of drug abuse.
While responding, the Imam of Rafukka Juma’at mosque, Sheikh Husamat Katsina, said such initiative was a welcome development, “because the menace affects everyone”.
He said the solution to the problem was for all the stakeholders to unite to address the problem.
“It has become necessary for parents and other stakeholders to ensure that youths are guided through the right direction, because they are the future leaders,” he said.
The sheikh commended NDLEA for taking the campaign to places of worship, especially to Ramadan daily lectures.
The Ramadan daily lectures gather Muslim faithfuls to listen to interpretation and explanations of the Holy Qur’an.
