Jadi Suleiman hemp and other drugs are abused in these areas, they are not the usual drug joints in the state, but the drugs are brought in there obviously with the knowledge of party youths' leaders. This observation is further confirmed by the resistance we normally encounter when attempting to make arrests. The Command equally discovered that campaign rallies or locations appear to be another extension of drug-market as drug dealers are found to be patronising those areas to hawk and sell drugs to youths and other users. The Command also discovered that funds are allocated to youths leaders by party leaders to ensure that'the boys are high' for mobilization and other political activities. In addition, during our investigations, some of the arrested party youths confessed that they get their drugs either from drug joints, dealers, hawkers, friends, colleagues, students, co-workers and group affiliations such as OPC and cult groups. After abusing hard drugs, these youths become highly intoxicated and become cannon fodders for election violence and disruptions of the electoral process. They attack opponents' properties and could even kill. They dare anyone who constitutes a threat to them and their political sponsors. This negative trend has been a common feature in most political party meetings. However, what the politicians do not know is that, these youths that they give drugs in a bid to achieve their political ambitions could be a source of danger to them during and even after the elections. They should not forget that these political thugs who are mostly made up of youths could become a threat to security of their state. This is because, after elections, majority of them will be left jobless and abandoned and for them to continue to survive, they turn to armed 74 Drug Use and Elections robbers,(hired) gun men/assassins and/or kidnappers. It is unfortunate, therefore, to say that, instead of our politicians to better the lives of these youths, they destroy them by recruiting them for anti-social activities. 4.10 Efforts of NDLEA to Mitigate the Consequences of Drug Abuse and Electoral Violence: In our efforts to combat drug abuse, trafficking and other drug­related crimes such as election frauds, violence, political killings, amongst others, the Command has responded adequately to challenges posed by drugs and crimes in the states and their attendant negative implications on the election process. As one of the critical stakeholders in election security as well as in society, curbing social vices that hamper good governance and social progress is part of our core mandate. The Command in the past two years(2012/2013) arrested 693 drug-related offenders with different substances of abuse weighing over 15,370.86 kilogrammes in Ekiti state in the build-up of election activities. Among these criminals arrested were 631(91%) males and 62(9%) females with the number of youths topping the list. Among the youths arrested for drug abuse and other drug-related crimes were 25 minors. Once they use drugs, they begin to export terror, cause mayhem, inflict injuries on their victims and cause break down of law and order. It is saddening to note that able-bodied persons who are in their active and productive ages constitute the highest drug offenders and other criminal related activities ostensibly fuelled by the use of 75