Wellspring University Journal of Social and Management Sciences

This study explores the nexus between drug abuse and the rising wave of criminal activities among youths in Bori Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Nigeria. Framed within criminological and sociological perspectives, the research draws upon empirical evidence derived from interviews with community leaders, law enforcement officers, youth representatives, and health practitioners. Findings reveal that drug abuse functions as both a symptom and driver of socio-economic marginalization, unemployment, and weak family structures. The historical context of Bori, once the headquarters of the Ogoni struggle and a hub for youth activism, is now overshadowed by escalating drug use—particularly cannabis, codeine-based syrups, and synthetic substances—which correlates with increased incidences of theft, cult-related violence, and armed robbery. The research demonstrates that drug abuse lowers inhibitions, fosters deviant subcultures, and exacerbates social exclusion, thereby entrenching cycles of poverty and insecurity. Participants emphasized inadequate government intervention, porous drug supply networks, and the normalization of drug culture among youths as key enablers of the crisis. This paper argues for integrated policy responses combining community-based rehabilitation, law enforcement reform, youth empowerment programmes, and interfaith engagement to dismantle the structural conditions sustaining the drug–crime nexus. The study contributes to debates in youth studies, criminology, and African development research by situating the experiences of Bori youths within broader patterns of drug-induced criminality in Nigeria.