Youth Invasion: The Dramatic Surge in Drug Abuse and Criminal Behaviors in Southwest Nigeria

This study delves into the intricate problems of drug abuse and criminal behaviors among youth in southwest Nigeria. These phenomena represent longstanding challenges that impact the youth and the larger society. Recent developments indicate a concerning increase in drug-associated crimes and behaviors among youth most especially in southwest Nigeria, raising a major concern within the region. Against this backdrop, the study utilizes interviews in collecting data, while both descriptive and interpretive approaches to content analysis of primary as well as secondary data were applied. Key findings indicate the prevailing influence of drugs on youth criminal behaviors, contributing insights essential for addressing and mitigating drug abuse and criminal behaviors in the southwest region of Nigeria. This study embodies how critical it is to take decisive action to halt these behaviors, not just in southwest Nigeria but also in the nation’s other geopolitical zones.