Garuba raises alarm over crime rate

By Laide Akinboade

ABUJA — Former ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) Commander, General Chris Garuba, has decried the increased rate of crime in Nigeria.

The former commander who said this yesterday at the presentation of the Centre for Youth and Family Rehabilitation  (CEYOFAR), noted that nothing must be spared in ensuring  a prosperous and safe  nation where the citizens pursue their careers to their optimal abilities.

According to him, “we see the increasing number of out of school children, the willingness of young men and women to be engaged in underlying tasks such as armed robbery, cultism, political thuggery and hooliganism, the rising level of crimes and other form of misdemeanors. Of course, at the root of all these listed negative trends is the impact and effect of drug abuse.”

The army commander identified drug abuse as one of the causes of increase in crime rate in the country, saying drug abuse has gone beyond the youths in the country.

His words: “Regrettably, the scourge of drug trafficking and abuse has gone beyond the youths. There have been reports of even grand-mothers and grand-fathers who have been arrested for drug trafficking.  Many people considered to be in otherwise reasonable employments are also reported to has been involved.

“The implication of this scenario is that a holistic approach must be urgently evolved, if the desired goal of overcoming the malaise is to be achieved,” he said.

He noted that the major challenge before the Federal Government was to stop the trend which must include “developing intervention strategies that will be beneficial to all.”