The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has declared that it will collaborate with international touring bikers group, Jeje Riders Nigeria to fight drug abuse among youths and children of age across the country.

The declaration was made by the chairman of NDLEA, Retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, when he played host to members of the Jeje Riders Nigeria, who paid him a courtesy in Abuja on Wednesday.

The visit was a prelude to the flag off of a nationwide students anti drug abuse campaign in Yola on scheduled for October 12, 2024 to be anchored by Jeje Riders.

The NDLEA chairman expressed delight and commended the group for choosing to assist the NDLEA with a campaign to educate young people on the dangers of substance abuse in schools and the hinterlands across the nation.

Gen. Marwa said riders are misconstrued internationally to be associated with criminal abuse, drug use, misdemeanours and other social vices, which is not the case with Jeje Riders.

He asserted that Jeje Riders are major contributors to national health and well being of the nation.

Marwa stated that, “I would like to commend you for your initiatives and for your participation in making this a very successful organisation. It is very important that you are facing the youth, that is where the calamity that is befalling us today lies.

“The level of drug use among Nigerian youths is touching, primary school, secondary and tertiary institutions and not to talk of those that are out of school. There are millions that are out of school and because of the poverty index, we have a situation where there is no food to eat, they roam around and maybe a colleague will give them a pill to chew that can kill the hunger and make them happy at the same time and before you know it becomes a problem, so this type of work is very important. The NDLEA cannot alone solve the drug use problem nor the government, the whole of the society, everyone has to contribute his or her own quota.

“We appreciate this work you are doing, we are going to collaborate and keep us informed of all that you do. It is a very important assignment you put yourself to do. It is a national assignment. One in seven Nigerians use drugs and that is very high but with your collaboration, and am sure you will put in your best and make a difference.”

Speaking earlier, the president and chairman, Board of Trustees of Jeje Riders Nigeria, Ibrahim Tizhe, while introducing members of the group to the NDLEA boss, said Jeje Riders was established in 2022 and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and has 24 members who are from different professional backgrounds including the military, the police, medical personnel and business professionals from across the nation with affiliations to bikers group from other countries across the world.

Explaining the purpose of the visit to the NDLEA headquarters, a member of the group, Mr Tijjani St. James, said the group is made up of like-minded individuals and professionals from various backgrounds with a passion to improve the quality of living in the country.

He said Jeje Riders have been to several countries around the world and are involved actively in humanitarian works.

“Our key objectives are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include community development, peace advocacy, and youth development among others.

“We are embedded in the society we live. We have serving military personnel amongst us, businessmen, captains of industries, professors.

We have members across Nigeria and some West African countries. We not only ride, but are involved in community development and charity work.

“Sometimes ago we donated heart equipment to the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to support their work. We also supported Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital in Kaduna with the same equipment.

“We were the first nongovernmental organisation to support Jigawa State with food items to over two hundred households that kept them going for about three weeks before help came to them in the last flood that affected the state,” said St. James.

Explaining further, he said the group has been involved in community development especially in the provision of healthcare and water facilities with a recent project commissioned recently in Zamfara State.

“Our key focus is on the youths and that is why we are here today. We believe that the youths are our future; they are the leaders of tomorrow. A nation is as good as the quality of the youth it has and that is why we focused our attention on the youth.

“Our focus on the youths is in two proms especially students, to focus on learning and in that regards, what we have done in recent time is to provide learning and teaching aid to schools, so we donated an IT Centre and E-Library to Gombe State Government about two years ago, few months ago we did same donation to the Jigawa State Government.

These E-Libraries are meant to conduct research and for students to learn how to use computers.

“We will be in Gulak, Adamawa State next to donate same to the Government Secondary School, Gulak. We believe that these will enable the students not only to learn but to help them provide quality education because the future is IT.

“Apart from focusing the students on effective learning, we also try to take off their minds from negative vices that will hinder them from their academics.

“We have in the past focused our attention on schools across Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara States but we thought that because of the nature of us especially the youths who are attracted to us, we decided to leverage that love for us to support the tremendous job the NDLEA is doing.

“We have seen what the NDLEA has done in recent time, and it has been  massive. However, we thought that aside what the NDLEA is doing, let us support by reaching out to the grassroots, the young ones that are our future.

“To safeguard these children is to fence their minds from going close  to harmful substances. These are the reasons we decided to come together to along with our international partners to organise a National Drug Abuse Campaign for students across the country and we  will be flagging off these campaign in Yola, Adamawa State,” St. James added.

Speaking further, St. James said the Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri  has committed his support for the flag off of the event in his state including the head of Inter-Pol Africa.

He stated that influential persons like Ahmed Musa, Ali Nuhu, MI Abaga, and some influential comedians like Akpororo will headline the occasion to influence the youths positively.