By Issah Mohammed
Accra, May 19, GNA – A 14-year-old boy, consumed by guilt, could no longer look his teacher in the eye.
His punctuality dropped, and when present, he avoided confrontation. Suspicious glances from his peers made him feel unwelcome, forcing him to abandon school.
Mallama Saudatu Mohammed, a weekend schoolteacher at Markazul Fuhum Islamic School, was devastated when she discovered that the boy she had nurtured for six years had succumbed to illicit drugs.
“He was shy when we met initially, but after some time, he would greet me, and I would tell him to take care of himself,” she said.
He was not the first of her students lost to drug abuse in Sabon Zango, and he would not be the last.
Many have endured the pain of watching young lives ruined by addiction.
Madam Jamilatu Abdulai recounted her niece’s struggles.
“It is too much. The walking and even her talking is very slow. And when you give her money for food, she will buy drugs and take them. She will come and complain that her stomach is paining her,” she said.
Master Mohammed Haruna, 15, avoids his friends, most of whom abuse drugs.
“I know they can spoil me with smoking,” he said.
A Crisis in Sabon Zango
Drug abuse is a growing menace in Sabon Zango, a predominantly Muslim community in the Nmemmette electoral area of the Ablekuma Central Municipal Assembly.
The century-old settlement, the oldest Zongo in Greater Accra, has produced influential personalities, including Mrs. Samira Bawumia and Assistant Commissioner of Police Husein Abdur Rahim Husein.
In recent years, illicit drug trade has surged, with unlicensed chemical shops operating under the guise of provision stores.
Drugs normally restricted to prescriptions are easily accessible, and hidden ‘bunkers’ serve as gathering spots for addicts.
Dangerous substances like heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana (“wee” or “devil’s tobacco”), tramadol, codeine cough syrups, and the potent 225 tablet (“RED”) are widely abused.
Mixing tramadol and codeine with energy drinks or alcohol leads to severe side effects, including slow breathing and overdose risks.
The trend threatens life expectancy in a community that rarely investigates medical causes of death due to religious beliefs.
“Apart from damaging your liver, kidney, and heart, drug abuse will cost you a lot medically. It affects your brain, and that is where addiction sets in,” warned Abdul Rahim Salisu Ango, a clinical psychologist at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
A native of Sabon Zango, Mr. Ango noted that addiction required discipline, counselling, and sometimes rehabilitation.
“Because of the withdrawal symptoms, they go through a lot—headaches, spells. They can’t eat or sleep, and some experience hallucinations and delusions.”
A Community Fights Back
Determined to end the crisis, a group of young men and women, backed by the community chief Alhaji Yahya Hamisu Baako, launched a campaign against drug abuse.
What began as a Ramadan outreach evolved into targeted raids on shops and bunkers, leading to property destruction and drug and weapon seizures.
The initiative has gained national attention.
On May 8, 2025, Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak visited the community to support the cause.
He donated funds and promised to recruit qualified youth from the campaign into security services.
Accompanied by senior officials from the Ghana Police Service, Narcotics Control Commission, and Ghana Armed Forces, the minister urged campaigners to report uncooperative officers directly to him.
The group uncovered a troubling trend.
Most drug dealers were immigrants from West Africa and the Sahel region.
“When we look at the cocaine rock, it was mostly sold by people of Ghanaian descent. But tramadol and the other tablets were peddled by foreigners, especially from Niger,” said Usman Muhsin Barko, a 29-year-old web developer and volunteer campaigner.
A National Concern
Data from the Narcotics Control Commission highlights the rising drug problem.
In 2020, authorities seized 8,704 kilograms (kg) of illicit drugs, increasing to 15,458 kg in 2021.
The figure surged in 2022, with 59,900 kg confiscated.
Over three years, more than 84,000 kg of illicit drugs were seized, reflecting both intensified efforts and growing trade.
During a visit to Sabon Zango, the GNA met with the Zango Against Drugs (ZAD) campaign team, which has led sensitisation efforts since 2019.
Alhaji Salihu Shaibu Sarauta, a Hausa broadcast journalist and ZAD member, blamed leadership failure for the crisis.
Traditional leaders, he noted, ignored the problem, and politicians avoided action for electoral reasons.
“Politicians are afraid to show their faces. Do you know why? Because of votes,” he said.
A weekend Islamic school teaching assistant Musah Badamasi revealed that 80 per cent of his childhood friends abused drugs.
He cited peer pressure and cyber fraud as key drivers.
“We were all friends, and we all went to Makaranta. We get our peanuts; we come and buy Acheke. It started with ICQ, I remember. They started getting small money, and they started pulling away from us,” he said.
Challenges and Way Forward
The campaign against drug abuse faces internal conflicts and inexperienced members.
“Some are there for personal gain. Some leak information, causing conflict internally,” said Barko, the web developer.
“There are people outside who are focused on what they gain, and so they create disharmony among people who are trying to fight the drugs,” he added.
Campaigners initially burned confiscated drugs, leading to arrests being dismissed for lack of evidence.
“We take them [peddlers] to the police, but we were asked to provide evidence. We couldn’t, so they had to let them go,” said Alhaji Kamal Abubakar, a lead campaigner.
Before the minister’s intervention, campaigners struggled with police indifference.
“They now treat us well when we go there,” Kamal noted.
Despite obstacles, the community remains determined to win the fight.
Alhaji Sarauta revealed plans to establish a watchdog to tackle drug peddling and street begging, alongside a rehabilitation centre for addicts.
“The end goal is to reintegrate them into society. They are our brothers. We love them. I have an uncle who is affected,” he said.
Despite setbacks, Sabon Zango is committed to securing a drug-free future for the next generation.
GNA
Edited by Ken A. Sackey