In a bold and uncompromising action against the rising scourge of drug abuse and child neglect, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), popularly known as the Pyrates’ Confraternity, has ignited its nationwide Street Child Project with a landmark campaign in Mpape community, Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Partnering with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Galleon Bay Deck of NAS which comprises of Gwarimpa, Lifecamp, Kado, Jahi, as well as Katampe Extension and environs, took the fight to the streets with a high energy march, mass flyer distribution across markets and motor parks, and eye opening public lectures for students, parents, community leaders, and stakeholders.
The Mpape campaign is part of the Street Child Project of NAS’s flagship humanitarian and advocacy initiative, designed to confront drug abuse, homelessness, and the growing crisis of out of school children head on. With simultaneous activations across Nigeria and abroad, the project combines drug prevention, rehabilitation advocacy, and back to school initiatives to rescue a generation of vulnerable children.
According to Mr. Samuel Abhulimen, Project Execution and Monitoring Adviser of Galleon Bay Deck, Mpape was deliberately chosen because of its alarming rate of drug-related school dropouts. “Our findings revealed that Mpape has one of the highest concentrations of young people battling substance abuse in the FCT. As leaders of tomorrow, they need protection from addiction’s destructive spiral. We are here to spark awareness, rescue children from the streets, and restore hope for their future,” he declared.
Reinforcing this, Chief Superintendent of Narcotics, Mr. Nduka Augustine, Officer in Charge of Drug Abuse and Sensitisation, NDLEA Abuja Command, emphasized that parents must be vigilant. Warning signs like sudden secrecy, missing valuables, and drastic changes in friends, he said, should never be ignored. “Drug tests are available at NDLEA facilities nationwide and can give answers within minutes. Prevention, not arrests, remains our strongest weapon,” he affirmed.
The campaign’s message resounded powerfully: drug abuse is a societal time bomb that must be defused. Through sustained community engagement, nationwide advocacy, and international collaboration, the NAS Street Child Project stands as a movement of hope, justice, and opportunity, determined to replace despair with education, innovation, and purpose.
The National Association of Seadogs calls on government, civil society, communities and parents to join this cause and build a Nigeria where no child is condemned to the streets, and no future is lost to drugs.
For more information, visit www.nas-int.org or follow the campaign on social media via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook: NASPC1952.
