Hussaini Ibrahim 
DAMATURU, Nigeria – The Yobe State House of Assembly has advanced a bill to establish the Yobe State Agency for Drug Abuse Control and Rehabilitation (YOSADAC), aimed at coordinating prevention, treatment, and recovery services across all 17 local government areas of the state.
The bill, listed as YBHA No. 31, passed second reading this week and has been referred to the relevant committee. Public hearings are scheduled for March 8 and 9, 2026, to solicit input from stakeholders and civil society organisations.
Speaking on Friday on the need for the proposed agency, Hassan Jakusko, Yobe’s Focal Person on Drug Abuse Control, said the state is facing a growing crisis of substance abuse that requires more than enforcement alone.
“Six hundred and nine confirmed drug users currently require immediate rehabilitation, while nearly one thousand others need structured six-month intervention programmes,” Jakusko said.
“Families are enduring enormous financial and emotional stress due to the lack of rehabilitation resources in the state. Untreated addiction is driving crime, mental health disorders, and social breakdown.”
The proposed agency is expected to establish state-backed rehabilitation facilities, reduce reliance on costly private centres outside Yobe, and integrate recovery services into the public health system.
Civil society groups have also sounded the alarm. Jamilu Charanchi, National Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), described escalating youth drug use in northern states as “a national crisis threatening the region’s social and moral fabric.”
Charanchi cited figures attributed to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency indicating that in some northern states, 40 to 50 per cent of students are involved in drug use.
He also highlighted a recent seizure of more than five million tramadol pills in Kano within a single month, noting that such interceptions likely represent only a fraction of narcotics circulating in the region.
About the Author
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Chukwu Obinna 