The Nigerian Army has raised awareness among students in Yobe State on the dangers of drug and substance abuse, with Sector 2, Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), stressing the role of education in preventing substance abuse and its wider security implications.
The Commander, Sector 2 OPHK, Brigadier General Edet Effiong, led the awareness campaign held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Government Girls Unity College, Damaturu.
The programme, themed “Education as a Strategic Tool for Combating Drugs and Substance Abuse: Impact on National Security,” brought together more than 300 students from schools across Yobe State.
In a post obtained from the Nigerian Army’s X account on Friday, speaking on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, Effiong described drug abuse as a threat to the well-being and future of young people.
He said, “Drug abuse is a threat to the well-being and future of our young people,” noting that its consequences could extend beyond individuals to families, communities and national security.
He urged the students to make positive choices and rely on education and discipline to resist harmful substances.
“Education, discipline and positive choices must be your defence against harmful substances,”** he told the students.
The Sector Commander said preventing drug abuse was also important to broader efforts to deny criminal and terrorist networks opportunities to exploit vulnerable young people or benefit from illicit activities.
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to initiatives that strengthen community resilience through constructive engagement with young people and collaboration with relevant government agencies.
The Special Guest of Honour and Director of Schools Management, Yobe State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Idriss Mohammed Fune, commended the initiative and urged the students to spread the anti-drug message within their communities.
He encouraged the students to extend the anti-drug message to their peers, families and communities, while also calling on educators to sustain awareness of the dangers of substance abuse in schools.
The programme featured presentations by facilitators from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the students received writing materials and souvenirs.
The Army said the initiative forms part of the non-kinetic component of ongoing efforts within the Joint Operations Area to address factors capable of fuelling crime and insecurity.
Through continued engagement with schools, communities and relevant agencies, Sector 2 OPHK said it would continue to complement military operations with preventive initiatives aimed at strengthening public awareness, community resilience and long-term security.