‘Don’t destroy your future’ — Uzodimma advises Imo youths to avoid illicit drugs

Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, has urged youths in the state to shun methamphetamine, otherwise known as ‘mkpuru mmiri’ and other forms of hard drugs.

Uzodimma, who was represented by Placid Njoku, the deputy governor of Imo, said this on Saturday at the 33rd convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

He urged youths to desist from using illicit drugs in the interest of preserving their future.

“Your future is at a crossroads as youths, so avoid taking this dangerous drug called mkpuru mmiri and other negative vices capable of destroying your future,” he said.

On November 25, the house of representatives asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to carry out an “explosive raid” on methamphetamine production laboratories in the country.

The legislators came to this resolution after a motion sponsored by Henry Nwawuba, a lawmaker from Imo state, was adopted.

Nwawuba, in leading the debate on the motion, lamented the proliferation of illicit drugs in the south-east region.

“Many homes in the south-east are currently facing the dangerous effect of methamphetamine nick-named mkpuru mmiri,” he said.

“Since 1990, the production of crystal meth has been hijacked by Mexican drug dealers who set up laboratories in Nigeria for the production of mkpuru-mmiri in 2016.

“As a stimulant, it has a powerful euphoric effect similar to those of cocaine meth. It typically keeps users awake, depriving them of sleep, making them react violently and taking a toll on the physical look of its users.”