Hon Maria Edeko, the Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, has alleged that women selling herbal mixtures and concoctions, popularly known as “agbo,” are agents and distributors of hard drugs prevalent in every nook and cranny of the society.
DAILY POST reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker representing Esan North-East II made the allegations on Tuesday when she received executive members of the Edo State chapter of the Nigerian Red Cross Society in her office in Benin City.
Edeko, however, expressed her resolve to collaborate with the Nigerian Red Cross Society to completely rid every part of the state of the menace of drug trafficking and abuse among youths.
Speaking on the harmful impact of drug trafficking and abuse on youths in the state, the deputy speaker opined that substance abuse through illicit use of hard drugs in various forms has found its way into every nook and cranny of the society through some women selling herbal concoctions referred to as “agbo.”
“Every woman on the street with a container bearing different herbal mixtures and concoctions are the agents and distributors of these hard drugs which are prevalent.
“Today, we have vulnerable people that are victims of drugs. It is a new plague because our community is being destroyed by drugs.
“I have had collaborative partnerships with NAFDAC and NDLEA in taking the campaign against drug abuse to schools, churches, and marketplaces.
“But maybe because, as a university lecturer, I was able to see the tragedy associated with drug abuse that nobody could see, but today drugs are being sold in every nook and cranny of our society.
“For me, I would be comfortable if the NDLEA could buy those basins from the agbo sellers hawking these drugs and take them for laboratory analysis because even at night around 1 a.m., you still see these ‘agbo’ sellers displaying them. Who takes agbo at 1am or 2am, if it is not drugs they are distributing?” she said.
Edeko, who said that 60 percent of youths would test positive if subjected to drug tests, including parents, also alleged that some women carrying basins selling herbal concoctions are not selling “agbo” but are selling drugs to youths.
The Deputy Speaker, however, advocated that drugs should be removed from the exclusive list in the nation’s constitution and moved to the concurrent list because the people consuming drugs are within our community.
“I believe it is on the exclusive list in our constitution, but my belief is the issue of drug abuse should be on the concurrent list because the people consuming drugs are within our community.”
She promised to join the organization in the campaign and sensitization against drug trafficking and abuse in the society as a result of the current humanitarian crisis staring us in the face.
Earlier, the state chairman of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Monday Edogiawerie, disclosed that, as part of its activities, the organization has lined up the forthcoming First Aid, Disaster Management, and Leadership Training Camp for 500 participants.
Monday said the event was slated to hold in Benin City between August 25 and 31, 2024, where the Deputy Speaker would be decorated as an associate member.
He also added that the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Edo State chapter, in its humanitarian capacity, distributed livelihood support to over 300 beneficiaries to cushion the effect of COVID-19, as well as other activities in emergency response during disasters, public health education, restoring family links, and prison sanitation programs.
