Over the years, the service of mobile hawkers who abound in Jos city and major towns especially around beer parlours or markets have become suspect. Observations have revealed that all that glitters is not gold. It may sound unbelievable that most of the mobile shop hawkers (aka Yan-Michika) are the major suppliers of all manner of illicit drugs in the capital city of Jos, Plateau State currently.
As simple and modest their operations as hawkers may seem to be in the open, the underneath is beyond what everybody can imagine. Yes, from the outside, what they move around with looks normal and innocent. But the things
But investigation reveals that, apart from the sweets, chocolates and pack of cigarettes that cover the frame they move around with, there is more to it in the inside because there is all manner of drugs behind the seen that many will not notice.
Speaking to one Mr. Danjuma who preferred to be known with one name said, “I have on several occasions seen young people coming to buy tramoil, alabakum and codine from these Michika boys who sometimes rest in front of my shop. When I asked one of them who seems to be close to me, he said it is not these cigarettes, condoms, sweet and chocolates that give them money.
“He revealed to that, the fastest money-making business is selling these drugs because majority of youth are into drug usage, and they are making it. I could not believe him but when he showed me most these drugs, the only I recall their names are tramol, codine and alabakum because they are common drugs we know, but for others I have never seen or known before.
“I still notice that not all of them sell such illicit drugs. Some few of them sell condoms and manpower and not tramol or codine, but majority of them are into that business. This has increased the level of drugs consumption in the area because they move around to even slum, and they can be easily accessed”.
On her part, a mother of two boys who pleaded anonymity said, “I keep wondering how one of my sons used to get these drugs easily. I have banned him from going out the compound by engaging him in domestic work so that he will not have access to these drugs, but within a twinkle of an eye I will see him already dosed.
“I did not know that these Michika boys passing close to my house are into the business until one, I saw my son exchanging what looks like pleasantry but an exchange of something so, I shouted at my son, and something fell down. When I rushed to pick it, I was shocked to see that it was tramol.
“If I had not witnessed that, nobody would make me to believe that these boys sell such illicit drugs around the area. I was so shuck and mad at them that day. Sincerely speaking, government must do something to check where the source of these drugs is so that, it will reduce this habit of drugs usage among our young ones. As a mother, I am so bitter and in pains right now”, she cried out.
It is truly a thing of great concern these days in the beautiful city of Jos, because drug usage has become the order of day even with the relentless monitoring efforts by drugs enforcement agency to cope the indiscriminate drugs usage among our youth.
One begins to wonder how these drugs are being smuggled into the state without being notice. Although, we appreciate the efforts of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for ensuring that sell of drugs is drastically reduced in our neighborhood, but more needs to be done because it is becoming a threat to our corporate existence.
There is the need for the agency and other security agencies to apply stop-and-check style on these mobile shop hawkers so that, the increasing level drugs consumption will completely be eradicated. This has affected so many young people because it is accessible at any point in time.
This is not to take off their businesses, but to ensure sanity and also save the lives of our ones whose future we must protect. All we are saying is for them to trade what is genuine and legal and not the way round because the replying effects of this is gradually consuming us.
You need to know that the cause of neighborhood theft that is threatening our communities is not far from drugs. They are some of the attributes of drug usage because when these young boys lack what they can use to buy the drugs, definitely, the next neighbour will be the victim and it is increasing day by day.
Something need to be done drastically so that, our communities would be save. Government cannot do it alone. It is our collective responsibility as a people to ensure that selling of drugs around neighborhood stops by monitoring and reporting same to the authorities charged with this responsibility. May God help us!
