DRUG USE AND YOUTH VIOLENCE IN TRANSITIONAL SOCIETY: A STUDY OF PETROL HAWKERS IN MINNA- NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper explored the relationship between drug abuse and violence among some youths in a transitional society. Petrol hawkers who were almost exclusively males, within the age bracket of 15-35 years with a penchant for violence in the city of Minna, were studied. The paper is aimed at providing knowledge on the relationship between drug abuse and violent activities among petrol hawkers. A multi-stage random sampling procedure was used to select four out of the eleven wards that constitute Minna metropolis. A sample of two hundred (200) respondents were selected out of which 165 were found to be good for analysis (after data cleaning), representing 83% response rate. Some twenty five petrol hawkers, who did not participate in completing questionnaires, were also interviewed, after the 2011 post election violence in Minna. Violent activities among petrol hawkers were attributable to learning and gangsterism than drug use. It is recommended that petrol hawkers constitute a group that needs close monitoring and that they should be integrated into youth empowerment programmes in order to stall violence activities by these set of youths in Nigeria.