MIF Conference Paper for African International Conference On Transnational Organized Crimes 2023 (AICTOC 23)

Conference Paper for African International Conference On Transnational Organized Crimes 2023    (AICTOC 23) 

 Venue: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria 

Date: 5th -8th June, 2023 

Topic: An Assessment of Children and Young People’s Involvement in Drug Trafficking and Related Risk Behaviours in West Africa

 We can only run but we can’t hide from the fact that our children and young people are slowly getting lost to the cold hands of drugs in all ramification, if you look closely around you, you will find them! Introduction One of the actual threats to the Nigeria’s security is the alarming rate of illicit drug trafficking (IDT). The menace of IDT poses heinous threats to human lives, national development and security. Most of Nigerian borders are porous, therefore, giving room for easy influx, movement and exit of drugs. 

However, the failing economy, insecurity, high rate of graduate unemployment, poverty, failure of government to provide basic necessities of life, high level of corruption and get-rich-quick syndrome among the youths in Nigeria, constitute the various banes behind the practice of illicit drug trafficking in the Country. 

The origin of Nigeria’s drug trafficking problem can be traced to the period just after the Second World War. Nigerian soldiers who had served in Burma, India, came back with seeds of the cannabis sativa plant. They went ahead to experiment with its cultivation and discovered that the plant does very well in some parts of Nigeria, and this led to a rise in the cultivation of the plant It was just a matter of time before the potentials of a high population, improving economy and a growing air transportation system would position Nigeria as a potential market where drug trafficking can grow as well as production. In subsequent years, Nigeria became a transit/trafficking point for category “A” drugs such as cocaine, heroin and other illicit substances intended for Europe, East Asia and North American markets. 

The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency 2018 report states that large amounts of cocaine smuggled from South America into Europe and North America passes through Nigeria. The most widely abused and locally trafficked illicit drug in Nigeria and indeed West Africa is cannabis, in its herbal form because it is quite affordable and readily available due to the fact that it is cultivated and produced locally. Illicit drugs are usually smuggled across the nation’s land, air and sea ports. Our Research (In View) Mega Impact Foundation is putting finishing touches to conducting a Community-Based, Cross-Sectional Survey research to access children and young people’s exposure to drugs and involvement in drug trafficking and other forms of community violence across 3 West African Countries (Nigeria, Cameroon and Benin Republic) to identify the causes and resultant effect of the exposure and involvement on children and young people, families and the society at large whilst providing sustainable solutions and recommendations. 

The aim of the study is to evaluate the current prevalent rate and trend of drug trafficking among children and young people from underserved communities in our target locations , it is also to assess the strength and directions of the relationship of drug trafficking to children’s involvement in violent crimes including theft, rape, cultism, man slaughter etc this study will not only contribute to the current data regarding the prevalence of drug trafficking among children and young people in West Africa but also enable the identification of the psychological factors that can prospectively play a role in the development of psychological interventions for curbing it. Problem Statement With the non-availability of data regarding the practice of drug trafficking among children and young people in West Africa, relative information from communities with drug related crimes suggests that 6% to 9% of children and young people aged 10-22 years are exposed to drugs and involved in drug trafficking (being asked to sell drugs, seeing someone being asked to or knowing a peer actually being used to deliver drugs, revealing that children and young people’s exposure to drugs and other risk behaviors is paramount in urban poor communities due to the level of poverty, lack of basic life amenities including quality education and lawlessness that thrives in such communities. Like in the popular Patey street in Lagos which is regarded as a leading hard drugs den in Nigeria where 70 per cent of operators and consumers are teenagers and youths, (other similar areas are quickly springing up in communities in West Africa), which according to the 2018 UNODC Drug Use in Nigeria report its drug prevalence is 16.6% and growing. However, having being asked to or seeing other people being asked to traffic drugs are both strongly associated with exposure to forms of community violence. According to reports, children and young people who are involved in drug trafficking are usually exposed to risk-taking and delinquent behavior, drug use and loss of interest in pursuing a career or remaining in school. 

Research Goal To contribute to the provision of a comprehensive data of the extent of the exposure of children and young people to drug trafficking and other forms of community violence in West Africa.

 This survey will access the rates of exposure to drug trafficking and other forms of community violence and also examine whether drug trafficking constitutes to a unique exposure to violence (or rather represents one form of an array of exposure to violence). Previous Research Work In 2022, in commemoration of the International day of the boy child Mega Impact Foundation: Exploring The State Of Development Interventions On the Boy Child In Nigeria; A Case Study Of Asaba, Delta State

 who we observed to be given less attention as it concerns their personal and social development which often makes them find solace in drugs and other criminal activities as they seem like the fastest way out of their challenges. The resultant effect were examined through a questionnaire that was used to sample the mindset of boys on what their challenges are and how they solve them. Quantitative data was gathered through questionnaires distributed among 400 boys aged 13-17 years from various Secondary schools in Delta State, interview responses to open-ended questions were also qualitatively analyzed. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to analyze the data. Descriptive Statistics were used to analyze the background information of the participants. Project Findings From Research Work 55% of the boys agreed to have either taken cigarettes or tasted alcohol before. 92% of them knew someone who used drugs. Other Findings: Factors Responsible for Young Peoples’ Participation in Drug Use and Trafficking Financial burdens Global drug trafficking is a multibillion dollar business. According to a March 2014 CNN world report, the Mexican drug cartels alone made between $19 and $29 billion dollars in sales per year. This huge amount means that young people are willing to take massive risks to perpetuate their drug trade. Youth unemployment In a country like Nigeria that is burdened with massive youth unemployment, corruption, poverty and a general loss of hope in the government, this financial rewards act as a huge inducement for engagement in drug trafficking. Get-rich-quick syndrome Another factor is the quest of Nigerian youths to make money big and fast. The drugs trade though with its attendant risks is a quick way to make money. Youths that have weak and low moral structures can easily fall victim to this evil act of trafficking drugs from one nation to other. Peer pressure This is an instance whereby if a friend takes or uses heroin or other substance, it is possible to get the other one influenced into the system. Addiction Healing from substance use addiction also termed substance use disorder takes time. For a user to make up his/her mind to stop using hard drug is a big step. Being addicted makes him/her afraid of what would happen if he/she does not keep taking the drug. People often would not try quitting until they are forced to, because it seems too hard. But when the addict stops using the drugs, it upsets his/her body and brain. He or she might fall sick for a while, and feel a very strong need to go back to use the drug. Sexual involvement Young people take hard or illicit drugs in order to gain sexual vigour. This is a result of suffering from erectile dysfunction while having sexual relationship with loved ones. As a result of this, they use hard drugs Break-up in relationships When most young people experience a break up especially when it comes from the home front, It can lead to addiction, Break-up in any relationship can be very hurting , that is why young people could choose to find solace in drugs like heroin, meth, cocaine and others in order to quickly put behind the break-up experience. (a ‘high’ from drugs makes them forget their troubles ) Social and Economic Impact Drug trafficking undermines development by eroding social and human capital. This degrades quality of life especially of the coming generation, Drug traffickers are strongly associated with exposure to other forms of community violence and involvement in other risk behaviors which undermines development by driving away investors both foreign and domestic investors see crime as a sign of social instability, and crime drives up the cost of doing business. Tourism is a sector especially sensitive to crime issues. Drugs and crime, moreover, undermine the ability of the state to promote development by destroying the trust relationship between the people and the state, and undermining democracy and confidence in the criminal justice system. When people lose confidence in the criminal justice system, they may engage in vigilantism, which further undermines the state 

Conclusion A 2012 report by the International Narcotics Control Board (INB’’) notes that Nigeria tops the list with the highest trafficking and drug use in West Africa. The report further states that in the last 10 years, West Africa became the new transit hub for cocaine coming from Latin America destined for Europe, with Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos emerging as the most active centre for air trafficking of cocaine. The report notes that close to 50% of Africa’s drug couriers arrested in Europe in 2011 were citizens of Nigeria. Nigeria also topped the list of major transit routes of heroin destined for Europe. The report notes that Nigeria features prominently among West African countries that produce and export cannabis to countries in Europe. The couriers are mostly youths and young people within the age bracket of 18-21 years. According to Alemika 2013, the methods of trafficking in drugs varied. Unlike the Colombian, Mexican and Italian mafia who can transport very large quantities of narcotics at a time, the Nigerian syndicate imports smaller quantities at a time using one of the three convenient methods: stuffer and swallow, shotgun or luggage-store 

Drug Trafficking and the Threat to Nigeria’s National Security Canadian Social Science Vol. 12, No. 12, 2016, pp. 1-11 DOI:10.3968/8974 Research Article - (2017) Volume 5, Issue 1 

Illicit Drug Trafficking in Nigeria: Obstacle to National Development and Security Nwannennaya C* and Abiodun TF Chief Superintendent of Narcotics, Directorate of General Investigations,

 National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Lagos Office, Nigeria

 Exposure to Drug Trafficking Among Urban, Low-Income African American Children and Adolescents Xiaoming Li, PhD; Bonita Stanton, MD; Susan Feigelman, MD 

Exploring The State Of Development Interventions On the Boy Child In Nigeria; A Case Study Of Asaba, Delta State