INTERVIEW: A Survivor’s Tale: How I Ran Mad After Taking Mkpuru Mmiri

By Chioma Okezie-Okeh

Image: Youtube

A 23-year-old young man named Okechukwu Nnorom, and a lucky survivor of the devastating effect of methamphetamine, otherwise known as Mkpuru mmiri in Igbo language, has revealed how he got hooked with the drug. He stated also how he got knocked out in the process, owing to his ignorance and innocence.

It was meant to be a bet worth N10, 000, and he decided to give it a try, he told Saturday Sun. The bet was all about who could take three cubes of the substance and still remain stable. But in less than five minutes after consuming it, Nnorom became restless and began to sweat profusely. The spectators and other competitors advised him to try and vomit out the substance. But he insisted on hanging on despite the dangerous sign, adding that he wanted the N10, 000 bet for keeps.

Twenty minutes after he refused to heed the advice, he switched personality and started exhibiting the traits of an insane person. According to eyewitnesses, it took the efforts of six able-bodied men to hold him down and to tie him up. When they saw that there was no improvement in his condition, after pouring several sachets of water on him, they alerted his family, who came over to pick him up in the football field where he lay helpless after being tied up. Quickly, they rushed him to a private mental rehab facility in Aba, Abia State. There he spent three months getting well.

How I got hooked

When Saturday Sun met him, Nnorom, who is fully back to his senses said that his greatest wish now is to serve God as a pastor. Recalling what he passed through, the much he could remember before he lost his senses, the young man claimed that he was deceived into believing that the Mkpuru Mmiri of a thing was just a regular ice laced with hot drinks.

His account: “I am from Abia State and the first child of my parents. I have four siblings. My uncle and master sells curtain materials. I was asked to live with him after I lost my father in 2019. In fact, he was the one who insisted that I should relocate. That was sometime in October of that year.

“To be sincere, he took good care of me and all his apprentices with whom I lived together in his house. As a young man, I had few friends with whom I used to go to a football field in Aba to play. The little money we got from hustling in the market was used mostly to buy drinks to entertain ourselves especially on Sunday evenings when we did not go to market.

“Among us boys there were always hot drinks, both sachet and small-bottled ones flying about. I refused to take marijuana because I feared that my uncle, who is a Christian, might notice through my mouth or body odour. He had warned me that if I misbehaved, he would send me packing. I don’t have a father and my mother is a petty trader. I had no better option.”

Nnorom said that he continued to keep to this principle till sometime in August when he was challenged to lick a cube of ice and earn some money. “Normally after playing ball, we would be thirsty. One man that sells all sorts of hot drinks was the one who brought this Mkpuru mmiri thing. He told us that he iced some of the hot drinks for those who were thirsty. Initially, I was not moved to join them to have a taste. He shared it among some of the boys. They took it but I did not see them react to the effect.

“It was the following Sunday when the man who we knew and addressed as “Chief” placed a bet that I became interested. The first set took two cubes and the winner won N5000. I saw that as easy. I decided to give it a try when the man increased the bet price to N10, 000.

“But I found out that after taking it, I started sweating very much as my head began to spin as if it didn’t belong to me anymore. They asked me to force myself to vomit. But thinking that it was just a side effect of what I took, I refused to heed their advice. I had hoped that the effect would clear soon and I would win the bet. But as the impact of the hangover continued to increase, I totally lost it. From that point on, I could not recall what happened until I found myself in the hospital. But my mother told me that I was later admitted in the hospital. I am so ashamed of myself. But right now, I am ok. I believe and pray that I will be able to serve God for the rest of my life.”

Excited mother thanks God for son’s ‘deliverance’

His mother could not hide her excitement when she spoke to Saturday Sun. She called her son’s recovery something of a miracle.

“Just like he explained, he left Kaduna to live with his uncle in Aba after the death of his father in 2019. I also relocated to Umuahia because of the increase in insecurity around the area where we lived in Kaduna. The second reason was that my business was no longer booming. All was well until I received a call in August from his uncle that my son has run mad. He said they were able to grab and drag him to the hospital where he was chained. I thank God that he was discovered on time, allowing the doctors the time to battle and save his life. He spent three months at the rehabilitation centre till he was fully recovered. I thank God for his uncle who did not abandon us for all those three months.”

Nnorom’s story is a tip of the iceberg, as regards the incalculable mental havoc that methamphetamine, or Mkpuru mmiri, the mind-bending drug, is causing among Igbo youths. Determined to bring an end to the spread, Saturday Sun learnt that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), is aggressively clamping down on the barons said to be mainly Igbo businessmen. This has led to several arrests, including the recent one at Enugu airport. The suspect, who was en route to Dubai, was found with a large quantity of Meth.

NDLEA reveals brains behind drugs, vows to stamp it out

So far the NDLEA has succeeded in shutting down some of the conduit pipes and frustrating some of the producers. But at the same time, their efforts have driven many of the patrons and barons underground from where they continue to manufacture and market the product to interested buyers, mainly youths.

In an interview with Saturday Sun, the agency’s Director of Intelligence, Sunday Zirangey, revealed that the drug barons started producing Meth in Nigeria in 2009. Investigations, he noted, revealed that it was South Americans, Colombians and their partners in Nigeria that brought them into the country. They were not only producing the meth in Nigeria, setting up clandestine laboratories, they were also training some Nigerians.

“Criminals, you know, always have foresight,” he said. “They want to make money; they want to be in charge. So, they partner with the South Americans to come and produce meth in Nigeria because they know that millions of dollars are involved. They also, in their own ingenuity, didn’t want to be dependent on the South Americans. They said to Nigerian barons, ‘Okay, we can partner with you. They said: ‘You are producing for us today. Can you train some of our people to be doing it?’ And the first Colombian that came, said: ‘if you can pay me what I will charge you, I will do it.’ And how much was it? – $38,000 per week training seven people for a certain period of time, and they were doing it in their hotel, in Ikeja, in Lekki, Lagos. After some time, those people got trained, that is the locals, Nigerians. They were not even pharmacists; they were not trained chemists. But, by combining one chemical with the other, they were able to get meth. They didn’t know the implication of what they were doing. Some of the locals died in the course of trying to learn the meth production because it involved very hazardous chemicals. If you inhale the chemicals, you develop a lot of organ diseases like kidney, heart, and all that.

“Anyway, when we saw this trend, we started working with our counterparts, the Americans. They showed interest, and through intelligence provided by them we uncovered and seized the first Nigerian lab in 2011. Between 2011 and 2019, the agency was to seize 18 methamphetamine laboratories. We’re not looking only at foreigners. In fact, we usually get intelligence when the foreigners are coming in, right from their take-off to arrival.

We follow them till when they set up the labs and begin to produce. Right from scratch, we started from when they came into the country; we followed them. They went to Enugu, went to Anambra and finally settled in Asaba. This was for a period of 13 months. We followed them without them knowing that they were being monitored. This job is intelligence-driven and takes a lot of painstaking investigation. Our aim is to make sure that the agency is positioned to be able to really rise to the challenge of this time, because the drug traffickers will not stop at anything to make their money; all that matters to them is money.”

The Mkpuru Mmiri Scourge In The South-East

TRIBUNE EDITORIAL

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ONE of the many lucid indications that Nigeria is ebbing dangerously into a dysfunctional society is the pervasive use of illicit drugs by many of its young people. There is hardly any geopolitical zone in the country where the use of one type of illicit drug or another is not a veritable issue of concern. It is a grave development that has the potential to imperil the country’s future. Currently, many communities in the South-East are reportedly grappling with the pernicious effects of the consumption of an illicit drug called mkpuru mmiri in the local parlance, which in literal translation in Igbo language means ‘seeds of water’. The pharmaceutical name of the illicit drug is methamphetamine and its use has been linked to various aberrant, anti-social and criminal behaviours by some young people in the zone. Cases of young boys raping grandmothers are on the rise, an indication that life has really broken down and moral values have become warped and twisted in that part of the country.

The drug is also believed to be a booster to the unknown gunmen whose level of atrocities in the South-East have become quite concerning locally and internationally. In other words, there seems to be a correlation between the use of illicit drugs and the spate of youth restiveness in the zone. Also, quite an intolerable number of young people in some Igbo communities are said to be having mental issues which tend to impair the quality of their decisions, judgments and actions because of their consumption of the drug. Thus, young people hitherto reputed for being diligent and meticulous at weighing various options before making decisions now seem to have become junkies, largely unconscious of their environment and lacking the mental capacity to evaluate the likely consequences of their decisions and actions. They are now uncharacteristically prone to violence and susceptible to taking precipitate actions because of paranoia and the hallucinatory effects of the use of narcotics, notably mkpuru mmiri.

Worse still, this prohibited drug seems to be readily available, very ‘potent’ and somewhat cheaper than some other hard drugs in its class. And that perhaps accounts for its popularity among young people in the zone. Again, there are indications that many of the laboratories that produce the dangerous drug are located in the South-East and they are reportedly owned by some members of Mexican drug cartels which came to set up the laboratories in the country in 2016. It should, therefore, not be surprising that the deleterious effects of drug use and abuse are palpable in the zone

In trade and commerce, the people of the South-East are arguably the most proficient and enterprising segment of the Nigerian society. It is rather sad that many of the young people in that part of the country have now embraced the destructive culture of illicit drug consumption that promises to dampen their otherwise impressive productivity and whittle down their economic importance if corrective actions are not taken swiftly to contain the menace. And that will be in addition to the consequences on the society of the ongoing wanton destruction of life and property in that part of Nigeria being orchestrated by misguided youths, most probably under the influence of narcotics. Unfortunately, while it is pretty easy to start the use of illicit drugs and become addicted, combating the threat of drug addiction is not a piece of cake, especially for a narcotic like mkpuru mmiri that can be accessed by users with relative ease. Thus, pragmatic solutions, far beyond mere rhetoric, outcries, lamentations and press releases will be required to rein in the scourge of mkpuru mmiri in the South-East.

There should be an all-of-society approach that will bring on board all stakeholders, including the family, religious, traditional and community leaders, and officials of the subnational governments to chart a new course out of the extant quagmire. We note the outcry by leaders of different hues to check the scourge of mkpuru mmiri but they will need to up their ante as the menace has continued to burgeon despite their efforts to curtail it. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is also called upon to increase the tempo of its law enforcement activities in the South-East with a special focus on this narcotic. It must locate and destroy all the laboratories producing the drug, cut the supply chain, and make the felons behind its production and trafficking to face the wrath of the law.

Just as we recommend concerted actions by the relevant stakeholders to combat the use of illicit drugs, we also recommend the same for tackling socioeconomic issues such as youth unemployment which, to a large extent, birthed the consumption of narcotics among the youth to begin with. For many youths, the consumption of hard drugs, including mkpuru mmiri, is their own way of escaping from the frustration and hopelessness staring them in the face within the socioeconomic environment. For instance, a crop of gainfully employed young people and those who can see positive indications that they would be ultimately employed are most unlikely to indulge in illicit drug use. What obtains now is a quintessential case of an idle mind becoming the devil’s workshop. And of course, it is axiomatic that poor people who strongly believe that they have nothing to lose now or in the future would not mind to taking precipitate actions.

Truth be told, the current efforts aimed at stopping the use of mkpuru mmiri can only provide transient respite from the consequences of hard drugs use in the South-East. An enduring panacea to the scourge of illicit drugs in the zone and elsewhere in the country will depend largely on how effectively all tiers of government work in concert with other stakeholders to address the socioeconomic factors that made the consumption of narcotics attractive to the youth in the first place. No amount of official application of force to control the use of illicit drugs among the youth will be efficacious as long as socioeconomic circumstances within the domestic economy continue to force the majority of them to become or remain non-economic actors.

DRUG EPIDEMIC IN IGBOLAND: Anambra Youths And The Fight Against Methamphetamine

The increasing addiction to hard drugs, especially methamphetamine, popularly known as crystal meth, glass and ice or Mkpurummiri in local parlance, by youths in Anambra State has reached a worrisome crescendo. However, some communities and its youth leaders have risen to fight the hydra headed monster, which is touted to be root cause of armed robbery, rape and other criminalities, reports David-Chyddy Eleke

In a drinking joint in Awka, two young men occupied a table, close to this reporter. Their discussion was about a certain Vivian. One of the men told his friend that he believed Vivian (supposedly his girlfriend) was not normal.

“She spent a night in my place the other day, and all through, I noticed she never slept,” the guy complained. “At about 2am, she woke me up and told me she thinks there is someone outside my door, trying to burgle it.”


The young man said he stayed awake for a while and noticed nothing, and as he made to go to bed again, Vivian looked through the window and said she was seeing a lot of people trooping into the compound. He tried observing too but saw nothing. This reporter listened as the young man’s friend questioned him if he observed Vivian take anything that was not what he offered her? Their conclusion was that Vivian may be on hard drug.

The case of Vivian is same as many young people today, including ladies. Investigation by THISDAY showed that there are a lot of substances young people take to heighten their level of happiness, and most of it, even though dangerous to their health and body organs, also give them a false sense of happiness, as much as elevating them into hallucinations and higher realm, as could be seen with Vivian.

Merely unwrapping some pieces of Tom Tom sweets into a bottle of Lacasera drink has been discovered to be be used by youths to give themselves false sense of happiness, just as pawpaw leave soaked in hypo bleach, or urine collected and left for days can also intoxicate.

Unwholesome Trend of Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine is one of such substances which is regularly abused by youths. Checks showed that the substance which is also called crystal meth, glass or ice has also acquired a local name; Mkpurummiri, and has proven to be the most commonly used among hard drugs today, just as is now very rampant in communities in Anambra State.

Investigation showed that it has same effect as cocaine, but even though it is much more destructive and addictive, it is far more cheaper.

Mkpurummiri is a synthetic (man-made) chemical, unlike cocaine, for instance, which comes from a plant. It is commonly manufactured in illegal, hidden laboratories, mixing various forms of amphetamine (another stimulant drug) or derivatives with other chemicals to boost its potency.

It was gathered that common pills for cold remedies are often used as the basis for the production of the drug. The meth “cook” extracts ingredients from those pills and to increase its strength combines the substance with chemicals such as battery acid, drain cleaner, lantern fuel and antifreeze to manufacture it.

It comes in clear crystal chunks or shiny blue-white rocks. Usually, users smoke mkpurummiri with a small glass pipe, but they may also swallow it, snort it, or inject it into a vein. Experts say its users have a quick rush of euphoria shortly after taking it, but it is dangerous, and can damage one’s body and cause severe psychological problems.

A source who spoke to THISDAY, and who claims to have friends that indulge in the substance in Awka said: “Mkpurummiri has the same level of addiction like cocaine, but what is more fascinating about mkpurummiri is that it is cheap, and that makes it even more addictive than cocaine. This is because it is very highly affordable. For just N500, you can buy a dose of mkpurummiri or even more, depending on how the dealer sells in your area.”

THISDAY gathered from investigation that there are several ways of consuming the hard drug. A source who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity said some local and unprepared users who are taking the drug for the first time use foil to wrap the hard drug, before using lighter to melt it, then making a hole in the foil, through which they slot a pipe to sniff in the drug.

It was also gathered that some people preferred to melt it, then use syringes to inject it into their bodies. “This method is mostly used by those who have become so reliant on the drug. Others just melt it and sniff it through their noses. But people who are accustomed to it acquire a glass pipe, with which they consume it, while others use electric bulbs, whose heads have been removed to melt and sniff it,” the source said.

War against Mkpurummiri

Given that the high number of cult activities, rape and armed robbery have been attributed to abuse of the substance, these has led to a total declaration of war on it by most communities in Anambra State. Many communities are correctly fighting the use of the drug in the state including: Enugwu Agidi, Ekwulobia, Umudioka, Oba, Obosi, and many more.

Declaring war on the drug, indigenes of Umudioka, a community in the Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, through a press statement signed by the President-General, Umudioka Improvement Union, Chike Odoji, said indigenes and non-indigenes resident in Umudioka were prohibited from taking mkpurummiri, Indian Hemp and any other illegal substances, all of which had been coded in local parlance by their consumers.

The statement read, “This is to announce to all indigenes of Umudioka and non-indigenes living in Umudioka that henceforth consumption, smoking and sales of Mkpuru Mmili; Isi na Awa Agu; Aju Achu Enwe; Stonch; Indian Hemp; and other substances/illicit drugs have been proscribed in Umudioka and her environs.

“Soonest, UIU (Umudioka Improvement Union) in conjunction with NDLEA, anti-cult and other relevant law enforcement agencies will commence a manhunt for all the dealers and consumers within Umudioka. You are therefore advised to stay away from any known bunk that deals on the above-prohibited items. We will not spare anyone once apprehended no matter how highly placed.”

If youths of Umudioka were lucky to get a warning, then, some drug addicts in other communities were not, as war on users was immediately declared, and suspects rounded up for interrogation and punishment.

The trend in many communities in Anambra State is the flogging of consumers, and on a daily basis, videos of youths who have been apprehended, tied up in trees or pillars at village squares of village halls have been surfacing on the social media.

Anayo Nwafor, a young man in his 20s in Enugwu-Agidi was one of the unlucky users of mkpurumiri. THISDAY gathered that in early November when the community declared war on consumers of mkpurummiri, Anayo was among several youths apprehended for being addicted to the drug. The punishment is usually flogging, and right at the village square, youths tied Anayo and flogged him to unconsciousness. He later died as a result of the flogging.

Leaders of Enugwu-Agidi who addressed journalists in a press conference in Awka told the sad story of the painful demise of Anayo. The Enugwu-Agidi Town Union National Public Relations Officer, Hon. Dumebi Onubuiyi, told journalists that the town union had embarked on peace missions across the community since it came into office few weeks ago, until the ugly incident of the death of a youth occurred in the community the previous week.

“We heard of the sad event that took place of one Anayo Nwafor that was apprehended with illicit drug material; the one that they call Mkpulummili. The youths instead of consulting us, manhandled him and he eventually gave up the ghost.

“The boys that are involved are youths of the community. We are trying to lay our hands on them to hear from them. But since this sad event happened, they have not been seen anywhere. We have involved the police, the DSS and other security agencies in the matter.”

Also last Saturday, youths of Ekwulobia in Aguata LGA also went to town on a war against the hard drug. THISDAY gathered from a resident of the community, Afam Ogbaji that four youths were arrested by members of the town’s central vigilante, and were held at the town hall, where their matter was being deliberated as at the time of filling this report.

Ogbaji said: “There are some communities in Ekwulobia that have very notorious drug joints. Those are the villages were you will find some of the craziest youths in Ekwulobia. I joined them to a raid of one of the villages, but I later left when the Central Vigilante were going to another village.

” Right now, four youths have so far been arrested. I hear that while some people want them to be flogged, others are asking that they should be handed over to NDLEA. They have not concluded,” Ogbaji said, while talking to our correspondent. The effort has remained on as on a daily basis reports of communities’ fight against the scourge keep coming in.

Stakeholders React

Meanwhile, some stakeholders have condemned the flogging of addicts, saying that flogging is not a form of rehabilitation for drug addicts. Former Senator Representing Anambra South and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded election, Senator Andy Uba added his voice on how he feels the scourge could be tamed.

Uba in a press statement he published on his verified Facebook page said: “One of the greatest threats today in Igbo land, especially in our dear state, Anambra is drug abuse among youths. Various communities’ youth leadership have adopted flogging anyone found to be taking the METH (Mkpulu Mmili).

“The question has been, will such beating solve or stop someone that is already addicted to that? My view is that we should embark on advocacy, reorientation and rehabilitation programmes among other things as approach against the new threat from consumption of ‘Mkpulu Mmili’. The government and civil society organizations should lead this strategy.

“In Anambra State, Ministries of Health, Youth, Women affairs, LGA etc should synergize and coordinate the advocacy, reorientation and rehabilitation of youths on issue of Mkpulu Mmili menace. In Anambra State, we have in existence, a well organised local community administrative system (Town Union). Community system, which remains a major means through which the above listed State Government Ministries and Civil organizations can effectively manage the growing ‘Mkpulu Mmili’ abuse in the state.

“The rehabilitation content should accommodate training them on various skills for productive purposes.We cannot be facing such challenge and the state government agencies that should initiate intervention will be busy in Awka while the labour force of the state is under threat due to drug abuse. You cannot separate the growing consumption of Mkpulu Mmili from violent crime that is creeping into our state.

“There is need for the government to takeover the narrative on the issue of Mkpulu Mmili in the state. If Awka is too busy to look into the happenings in various communities, why not devolve powers to LGAs who are closer to the people? I therefore, call for new policy regime in confronting this threat as flogging mkpulu mmili users won’t solve the scary challenge in Igboland,” Senator Andy Uba said.

Mr Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State also waded into the matter. Obi in a press release decried the scourge, while proffering solution to the problem. He said: “It would be irresponsible on the parts of the elders to keep quiet in the face of the ugly stories emanating from different parts of the country on the new trend on hard drugs among Nigerian youths.

“While commending various groups that have spoken on the menace, especially some towns that have been trying different methods to arrest the disturbing trend, I call on the NDLEA to devise a new strategy that will involve working closely with the government of various town unions across Nigeria towards arresting the new development.

“I recognise the great efforts the NDLEA was making in the fight against drug abuse, but the rapidity and openness with which the youths are embracing the condemnable acts is a sign that something is fundamentally wrong with the society and I call for the society to seek and correct those fundamental wrongs as lasting panacea to the menace.

“The United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) has earlier reported that Nigeria has the highest drug abuse prevalence in the world, with 14.4 per cent of Nigerians presently engaged in drug abuse. The situation will possibly be worse now with the recent spate of drug abuse among Nigerian youths. A timely action by the government and the concerned agencies will help save the youths from the ugly trend.”

Also reacting, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) threatened to go after distributors and consumers of the hard drug in the Southeast. The group described the development as very strange and completely unacceptable.

In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB blamed security agents for the drugs’ prevalence in the North, vowing not to allow same in the South-east. While accusing some security agencies of complicity in the racketeering of the hard drug, the separatist group called on communities to ensure they report those involved in the madness to its office for proper torturing.

The statement partly reads, “We note with utter displeasure, a very ugly and disturbing trend among some youths in Biafra land who have resorted to the consumption of destructive hard drug methamphetamine popularly known as Mkpuru Mmiri. This development is very strange and completely unacceptable. It is this same hard drug that renders Almajiris in the North useless, and we won’t allow this madness to creep in or fester among Biafran youths.

“IPOB hereby declare war against this nonsense. We shall go after those taking or distributing this harmful illicit drug. Henceforth, anyone found peddling, consuming or in any way involved in the distribution of this illicit drug shall be decisively dealt with. Biafran youths are known for their enterprising spirit, entrepreneurship and diligence.

“IPOB will not allow evil men and unpatriotic elements to ruin or destroy the future of our youths with Mkpuru Mmiri. While we commend communities who have already risen to curb this evil, we solicit useful information about those behind the distribution of this illicit drug so we will teach them in the language they understand.”

What the Authorities are Doing

THISDAY visited several government institutions to find out what they were doing to arrest the scourge of hard drug in the society. The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala who spoke to our correspondent said: “A small ministerial committee has been put together to study and design a community based intervention plan for the ongoing epidemic. Our design will involve every political ward and draw support from relevant law enforcement agencies like NDLEA, Police and Civil Defense.

“With respect to treatment, the states psychiatry hospital is available. We have also reached out to state based clinical psychologists to explore adaptable CBT programs. Cutting the supply chain is key. His Excellency (Governor Obiano) is committed to sanitising our drug distribution system in line with National drug distribution policy. Achieving the Coordinated Wholesale Center in Anambra as intentioned by the Federal government will truly help us achieve the later and the government is committed to this.”

The state police command also stated that it has been worried about the new trend and was working to ensure that the scourge of drug in the state is broken. The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga while interacting with THISDAY said: “Drugs is the oxygen that drive most crimes and bad behavior exhibited by individuals. It is an unfortunate situation that youth engage in drug taking to serve whatever purpose or satisfaction.

“The Anambra State Police Command has frowned at this ugly development and we have since joined a deliberate program by the police high command called Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCAVCO), a program targeted to sensitise the youths of dangers of drugs and others vices. We are also planning a town hall meetings in different communities and among other strategies to deal with the situation.”

Meanwhile, the job of fighting drug circulation rests squarely on the shoulders of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). A visit to the Anambra office of the agency was unsuccessful. It was gathered that the public relations officer of the command was away on a course in Jos, while the commander of the agency has been transferred out.

A staff who refused to disclose his name said: “The new commander just arrived the state yesterday, and has not even started work. She is a woman, and most of us have not met her yet. You may need to give her some time to settle down before four check back again.”

-------------------------------------THIS DAY

Mkpuru Mmiri - Drug Chaos In Igboland Escalates!

BY NNAMDI OJIEGO

VANGUARD

An epidemic has hit Igboland. No one is safe. Gory tales litter the space.

On October 19, 2021, a boy allegedly killed his father in Adazi Ani in Anambra State and took the father's N50, 000 just to buy Mkpuru mmiri. He was apprehended by youths of the community, beaten to stupor and burnt alive.

Another died in neighboring community as a result of debilitating effects of Mkpuru mmiri. In Umudioka, Anambra, two siblings, after taking Guzoro, chased their mother with machetes and prevented the woman from coming to the family house for three days until the village vigilante officials intervened.

There are numerous trending videos on social media platforms from different communities in Igbo land of young men, and in some cases, women and under-aged, being tied to beams and trees at public squares, beaten mercilessly for dealing in and taking Mkpuru mmiri. Information emanating from the zone shows that many Igbo youths are going insane, even as some have completely gone mad after drug use. And these are the future of the society.

According to population projections by the United Nations for 2020, about 43 per cent of the Nigerian population comprised children 0-14 years, 19 per cent aged 15-24 years and about 62 per cent are below age 25 years. By contrast, less than five per cent is aged 60 years and above. This makes Nigeria a youthful population with a median age of about 18 years, which is lower than African and world estimates of 20 and 29 respectively.

Escalation

With the above statistics, it is believed that the energy that will power Nigeria into a prosperous future will come from her teeming, vibrant youths. However, with a worrisome escalation in the rate of drugs abuse in the country, this generation of youths may not live to achieve their God-given potentials.

Faced with this existential threat, many stakeholders and prominent individuals of Igbo extraction, including politicians, celebrities, and community leaders, have expressed concerns over the effects of deadly substances and lending their voices for a concerted effort to stem the tide that is capable of wiping a generation of Igbo from the surface of the earth. They are aware that if urgent action is not taken, the Igbo race could be annihilated and the land becomes desolate.

Methamphetamine

What is Mkpuru mmiri that has thrown the South-East into chaos? It is a hard drug called methamphetamine or meth for short. It is called Mkpuru mmiri or ice in local parlance because it looks like ice block. It is also called Guzoro because of euphoria effect one gets after taking it.

According to Wikipedia, methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity.

The US National Institute on Drug Abuse described methamphetamine as a powerful, highly addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It takes the form of a white, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol.

Meth was developed early in the 20th century from its parent drug, amphetamine, and was used originally in nasal decongestants and bronchial inhalers. Like amphetamine, methamphetamine causes increased activity and talkativeness, decreased appetite, and a pleasurable sense of well-being or euphoria.

However, methamphetamine differs from amphetamine in that, at comparable doses, much greater amounts of the drug get into the brain, making it a more potent stimulant. It also has longer-lasting and more harmful effects on the central nervous system. These characteristics make it a drug with a high potential for widespread misuse.

In time, it became clear that methamphetamine was dangerously addictive. In the 1970s, the drug was added to the Schedule II list of controlled substances and became illegal except when it is prescribed by a physician for a very limited number of medical conditions.

The activities of the drugs addicts and dealers have become so damaging that town unions and youths associations are taking drastic measures to stamp out the menace from their communities. The situation is made worse and dangerous because there is no quick cure or drug for the addiction. The only treatment is behavioral therapy which is not readily available in Nigeria.

Extreme Measures

Though some people have condemned the manner of punishment meted out to the addicts and peddlers, describing it as barbaric, inhuman and unacceptable, others were of the view that no punishment or measure is too much or harsh for drug abusers considering the havoc the new way of life of some youths is already wreaking in the society.

Miracle Chioma, a concerned Nigerian, in her reaction, described the action as barbaric, stressing that beating the abusers would not stop them from taking the substance.

"These are adults who are already addicted to a particular substance and drug addiction is a chronic disease characterized by compulsive or uncontrollable drug seeking and use despite its harmful consequences", Chioma stated.

"Addiction is a strong disease and these people can't stop taking Mkpuru mmiri by this act of beating them.

"Most drug addicts need long-term and repeated care from a behavioral counsellor or a therapist to stop using the drug completely and recover their lives."

Cane Deliverance

But Ugezu J. Ugezu, a celebrated movie actor and director, in a widely circulated video, supported what he termed 'Cane Deliverance' (flogging) and, specifically, urged all communities to adopt it to save Igbo youths.

According to him, town unions should not wait on government but take the bull by the horns in tackling the problem.

He said: "I want to lend my voice to a raging issue in our land and I am urging presidents-general of town unions, specifically, to wake up from their slumbers and take the bull by the horns.

"What I'm talking about is what is called Mkpuru mmiri that our youths are taking and they are neck-deep into it.

"We don't know how it started or who started it. It could be from those who want to destroy our land and our youths have ignorantly embraced it, little children, especially those who have nothing doing. "Even those that do menial jobs are now into it. You can see it's not a good thing. So I believe that it is through flogging that the madness can be driven out of them.

"I'm glad some communities have started already and I am saying that if your community's constitution does not have provisions for flogging errant youths, let the constitution be amended to make provision for flogging.

"If we leave these children on their own, all of them will be useless.

"The Igbo have structures like age grade, Umunna, etc., let's use these already existing structures to fight and correct these anomalies.

"If we don't take these drastic measures now, in the next three to five years, we will have a bigger disaster in our hands.

"We are talking of the future of our land, so if we allow them to waste their lives, we will be the ultimate losers. We have to start now and it's the town unions that will lead this fight.

"We can't wait for government on this. We must fight this fight ourselves. We must use the cane to whip out the evil spirit in our youths.

"So any child that refuses to listen to good counsel, his body will listen to flogging."

Failure

Speaking in the same vein, a youth leader and Convener of Movement for Grassroots Governance, Comrade Ebelechukwu Ngini, blamed government at all levels for the calamity that has befallen Igbo youths, even as he supported the various measures adopted by communities to fight the scourge including flogging.

Ngini said: "Shaming the drug abusers is getting positive results so far. This may not be the best international practice but it is pragmatic.

"We don't have the luxury of basic mental health facilities, what do you expect us to do? Speak beautiful grammar and fantasize on lofty psychiatric know how?

"No, we must do something to save a generation. So far, flogging has been discouraging many would-have-been users whilst a lot more dropped the habit automatically after such treatment.

"What other results do you want to see? The flogging more than anything brought the menace of this drug to the front burner of discussion now. We can get better but for now, the flogging continues. Don't want to get flogged publicly? Avoid Mkpårå mmiri.

"I am beyond worried. I am much afraid that our greatest asset as a people is being destroyed before our very eyes. The future of every race is their youth and here we are talking about young, even teenage boys and girls getting illicit drugs easily and abusing them.

'I cringe to imagine what will become of us if this plague is not nipped in the bud. The worrisome question is how come meth litters our streets such that even 11-year-olds easily access them like it is Vitamin C? What makes the supply chain this thick and seamless? A question I believe the NDLEA should answer.

State of Emergency

"The cause is primarily the failure of government keeping to their side of the social contract with the people.

"Parents should stop making excuses for errant children and treat children tilting towards bad gangs dispassionately for a stitch in time saves nine.

"That said, I believe we, rather than passing the buck now, ought to declare a state of emergency on the menace.

"I unequivocally commend Anambra youths who have taken it upon ourselves to tackle this hydra-headed monster head-on.

"We must give our best to end the abuse of Mkpårå mmiri before it ends us.

"Many of users turn out to be the worst kind of criminals; gory stories of their escapades are legion. One beheaded his father the other day in Adazi. Many robberies and prostitution there are in a bid to support the illicit drug habit".

Francisca Ike-Nebeolisa, another concerned Igbo, supported Ngini's stance, saying: "Hunting them and treating them as criminals have helped so many of them. That is the reason most communities are adopting this means.

"Whatever means any community adopts to curtail the sale of this killer drug and reduce the rate people take it should be encouraged because, once people are unable to access the substance, it will reduce its spread.

Testimony

Giving credence to the assertions of those in support public shaming, one of the victims, in a testimonial video, stated that the flogging and beating he received saved him from destroying himself and made him a better person.

Ugochukwu, a native of Osumenyi in Anambra, revealed that he was one of those who received severe beatings for indulging in Mkpuru mmiri.

"My town's youth association apprehended me, tied me up and gave me almost 100 strokes of the cane. That was how the drugs left him", he explained.

In the video, he professed his newfound life, stressing that he is now humble and working as an apprentice in a barber's shop.

The victim thanked the youths for dispensing those life-saving strokes and encouraged them to fish out other young boys in need of the therapy that saved him.

Asian Treatment

An anonymous commentator, who claimed that the situation was worse in Imo, his home state, said dealers should receive stiffer punishment.

"Many guys in Imo are mad right now due to Mkpuru mmiri. Government and communities must go after the dealers", he said.

"Imo, like Anambra, is also flogging them. A lot of our brothers who are drug peddlers and who usually travel to other countries to destroy their youths are now home destroying Igbo youths.

"If anyone should be flogged, it should be the dealers. I am even advocating death penalty for the dealers and sellers in our land just like it is done in some countries in Asia. "I will never feel sorry for anyone given life or 50 years in prison or the death penalty for carrying drugs in Asia and other nations. They did not want their youths destroyed. Now I know why."

Depression

Experts have attributed the rate at which people abuse drugs to depression.

According to them, the rate of people who suffer from depression is very high these days, and this makes them indulge in anything that seems to make them happy even when some of them are fully aware of the consequences.

Knowing the addicted

According to WebMD, some of the signs of someone with serious meth addiction include tattered dressing and shabby looks, always picking at hair or skin, loss of appetite and weight, frequent moving of eyes, strange sleeping patterns (staying up for days or even weeks at a time), talkativeness (nonstop talking), insolvency leading to selling of possessions or stealing, angry outbursts or mood swings, and psychotic behaviour such as paranoia and hallucinations.

Quit Notices

While some Igbo communities have started dealing with drug dealers, others are issuing quit warnings to unscrupulous elements. One of the notices read: "With a heart full of sorrow, Nteje Youths have begun a check on those selling and those buying this hard drug called 'Mkpuru mmiri' (ICE)... because it has caused more harm than good to the youths of our land and those involved must be brought to book... "

A public service announcement from Umudioka Improvement Union, Anambra State and signed by the President-General, Hon. Chike Odoji, reads: "This to announce to all indigenes of Umudioka and non-indigenes living in Umudioka that, henceforth, consumption, smoking and sales of Mkpuru mmiri - methamphetamine, Isi na Awa Agu - Colorado (High-level Marijuana), Aju Achu Enwe - Arisona (SK), Stonch - Mkpuru ogwu, Indian Hemp - Marijuana and other substances/illicit drugs have been proscribed in Umudioka and environs.

"Soonest, UIU, in conjunction with NDLEA, anti-cult and other relevant law enforcement agencies, will commence a manhunt for all dealers and consumers within Umudioka.

"You are therefore advised to stay away from any known bunk that deals on the above-prohibited items. We will not spare anyone once apprehended no matter how highly placed."

Blame Judges

Worried about the high rate of drug abuse in the country, Sen. Dimka Hezekiah (Plateau) has sponsored a bill to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) law to check the incidence of light sentencing for drug offenders.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap. N 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 provides for stringent penalties for persons involved in the importation and exportation of hard drugs such as cocaine or heroin.

These penalties range from life imprisonment to 15 years in jail.

Hezekiah, however, raised concerns that although the Supreme Court had held that the minimum penalty for those dealing in hard drugs was a term of 15 years, some judges of the Federal High Court had continued to pass ridiculously light and illegal sentences on convicts.

"Rather than a term of imprisonment of 15 years, the maximum sentence passed on any convict was a term of 3 years for heroin", the lawmaker said.

"Some of these have been as low as four months imprisonment for 1.44 kg of cocaine.

"Worse still is the fact that when some of the judges pass these light terms of imprisonment, the convicts are further given options of fines, which are not provided for under the NDLEA Act."

Hezekiah further said that the arbitrariness that was being perpetrated by the trial judges by not following the provisions of the Act could lead to corrupt practices and encouragement of the drug trade.

He added that the proposed amendment would close any loopholes by having a clear, unambiguous and unequivocal provision that judges could not vary the sentences provided by the Act.

Generation at Risk

Supporting the bill, Sen. Istifanus Dung (PDP-Plateau) said the prevalence and menace of drugs and their destructive effects on the lives of citizens, particularly youths, had attained an alarming stage.

"A whole generation is at risk of being lost to drugs. The production and sale of illicit drugs require strong regulation and enforcement powered by NDLEA", Dung said.

"And this bill is seeking to strengthen and stiffen the sanctions against drug abuse in such a way that it will end in breaking and ending the destructive drug trade."

Scary Situation

Also speaking, Sen. Abba Moro (PDP-Benue) said: "The bill is germane to the circumstances in which we find ourselves here.

"The scary situation in which we find ourselves in this country today emanates partly from a combination of factors of the proliferation of firearms and light weapons. "The second dimension to our very scary security situation is the question of drugs."

A Ravaging Epidemic - Marwa, NDLEA boss

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa, has described the problem of drugs in Nigeria as "a ravaging epidemic", stressing that "it is for this reason that we remained upstanding to do our best with what we have and with the support we have been receiving from the Federal Government.

Marwa, in a recent report, stated that with the support from the Federal Government, foreign partners and stakeholders, Nigeria would win the war against drug abuse and trafficking.

"We plan to go to local governments for sensitisation; we are constrained at this moment with the size of our workforce but with the approval of the President, we have recruited more personnel to increase our size to enable us to go into the local governments so that each local government will eventually have its special command", he said.

According to him, the Federal Government had produced the improved fourth edition of the National Drug Control Master Plan 2021-2025 with the technical support from the UNODC and EU funding.

The document, according to the NDLEA boss, comprehensively addresses four thematic pillars of Supply Reduction, Demand Reduction, Access to Controlled Medicines for Medical Purposes, and Coordination and Governance.

Addicts Need Help

Continuing, Marwa said: "I must say that the use of drugs is an illness, especially when it gets to addiction. They (addicts) can't help themselves, they need to be helped. The efforts will not be towards criminalising or penalising them but to help them to be treated, so we encourage those under drugs to seek treatment. Twenty per cent of the drug users in Nigeria have drug use disorder. They need help and we encourage that."

Imo Lawmaker Calls for Action

In a related development, the lawmaker representing Ideato North in Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Innocent Egwim, has voiced his concerns that if nothing was done to checkmate the ugly trend and get the youths of the state to say no to the consumption of Mkpuru mmiri and other such drugs, the future of the state would be in jeopardy.

In a motion titled, 'To Curb the Menace of Consumption of Mkpuru Mmiri and Other Killer Hard Drugs Among the Youths of Imo State', and co-sponsored by seven other lawmakers, Egwim said: "The menace of the consumption of Mkpuru mmiri, among others, by the youths of this state is too obvious to be ignored as the non-affordability of the psychoactive hard drugs such cocaine, barbiturate, tramadol, codeine and others has led most of our youths to consume a more deadly, tough and cheaper substance, which they christened Mkpuru mmiri or Guzoro."

The lawmaker explained that the habitual consumption of Mkpuru mmiri has rendered some of "our youths useless by making them mad and sending some to their early graves as its consumption is often associated with health hazards and risks such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular-related illness, mental health problems, sleep deprivation, brain damage and anorexia to list a few.

"Therefore, if nothing is done to checkmate the ugly trend and get the youths of this state to say no to the consumption of Mkpuru mmiri and other such drugs, the future of the state is in jeopardy in terms of getting good pedigree of youths for leadership succession".

Egwim urged the House to prevail on Governor Hope Uzodinma to take appropriate steps to address the situation in Imo before it gets out of hand.