NIGERIA: DRUG ABUSE ON THE INCREASE AMONG YOUTH IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000061 STATE FOR AF/W, AF/EX AND INR/AA STATE PASS TO USTR-AGAMA TREASURY FOR PETERS AND HALL DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS AND 3130/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS USAID/AFR/WA FOR TWAY, USAID/AFR/SD JHILL, AND UNSAID/EGAT MOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM SNAR NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: DRUG ABUSE ON THE INCREASE AMONG YOUTH IN NIGER DELTA, LINKED TO CULTS AND CRIME REF: 08 LAGOS 464 Classified By: Consul General Donna Blair, Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) Summary. Dr. Theo Onyuku, a medical doctor at the Federal Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar, told PolOff on January 13 that drug abuse among young people in Cross River State is on the rise and claimed that there is a strong correlation between drug use and "cultism," violent crime and militancy in the Niger Delta. He claimed that health services in the region are in a state of "collapse" and accused the government of not being serious about addressing the issue of educating youth about the risks of drug abuse. End Summary. Drug Addiction Contributes to Niger Delta Militancy -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Dr. Theo Onyuku, a medical doctor at the Drug Unit of the Federal Psychiatric Hospital in Calabar and a civil activist well known to Post, told PolOff on January 13 that recent studies showed an increase in drug abuse among youths in the Niger Delta. He claimed that there is a high correlation between drug abuse and "cultism," violent crime and militancy in the region. (Note: cultism in the Nigerian context refers to violent gangs with an occult component allegedly involving ritual bloodshed.) He alleged that many of the militants in the Niger Delta were drug addicts, whose "courage" came from drugs while dependency on drugs solidified the power of camp leaders. Government Focus on Tourist Revenue Aggravates Situation -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Onyuku also saw an increase in illegal drug use among youths in the urban environment, something he claimed the government encouraged with its policy of fostering tourism. Onyuku was particularly critical of the Calabar Festival, which he claimed was an orgy of sex and drugs. He claimed that during the most recent Carnival in December 2008 there was public use of illegal substances and multiple instances of rape involving minors. He pointed out that HIV/AIDS is ten times higher among women than men in Cross River State, presumably as a result of coQercial sex activities. Onyuku claimed that awareness of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases is almost non-existent among the most vulnerable populations (commercial sex workers, long distance drivers, construction workers and drug abusers). According to Onyuku, the government of the state was far more interested in the revenues from tourism, including sex tourism, than in educating youths about the dangers of drug abuse and unprotected sex. The result is an increase in not only drug abuse and sexual violence but also in the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Cross River. (Note: USAID has no statistics which would reflect the impact of the most recent carnaval in Calabar, however, earlier data showed in increasQn HIV/AIDS among vulnerable populations in Cross Rivers such as sex workers and drug users despite a general decline in the state. End Note.) Health Services in a State of Collapse -------------- ¶4. (C) Onyuku claimed that medical facilities in Cross River State did not have the capacity or personnel to addess these issued. He described them as "morgue services rather than health services." He cited the absence of equipment, facilities and trained medical personnel, noting as an example that there was not a single dialysis unit in the entire state. He said that salaries for medical personnel are very low and housing facilities in rural communities are deplorable, discouraging graduates from following a career in medicine, particularly in the rural communities where the bulk of the population lives. He added that the medical education available in the region is inadequate and said it would take 20 years to bring education up to international standards. ¶5. (C) Comment: The association of drug abuse with crime is a worldwide phenomenon, and it is therefore highly probable that illegal drug use is widespread among the armed militants operating throughout the Niger Delta. Likewise the increase in HIV/AIDS among vulnerable populations is only to be expected wherever drugs are available and particularly where there is no education campaign to inform potential victims of the risks. Onyuku's comments are a reminder, however, that the relative absence of public and media reference to illegal drugs in the context of the Niger Delta conflict may be attributable to a Nigerian reluctance to recognize the problem rather than its insignificance. End Comment. ¶6. (U) This cable has been cleared by Embassy Abuja. BLAIR