BBC Journalist Umaru Fofana Raises Alarm Over Resurgence of Deadly Kush Drug
Amadu Sesay Prominent Sierra Leonean journalist and BBC correspondent Umaru Fofana has sounded the alarm once again, warning of the growing danger the drug poses to the country’s youth.
In a recent statement, Fofana described the resurgence of Kush as “a ticking time bomb” that continues to destroy lives, families, and the nation’s future.
“Kush has become a monster feeding off our young people’s despair,” Fofana said. “We are seeing an entire generation slipping away, one puff at a time.”
Despite intensified crackdowns and public awareness campaigns, the Kush trade appears to be thriving once more.
Reports from communities in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, and Makeni suggest that dealers have regained their strength if they were ever weakened at all. Umaru Fofana’s message is clear and urgent: “The people must impoverish the dealers by avoiding Kush. Stop smoking Kush NOW!”
Public health experts echo this call, emphasizing that tackling the Kush crisis requires both community resistance and government intervention. Rehabilitation programs remain scarce, and many users are left untreated, stigmatized, and vulnerable to relapse.
Religious and community leaders have also joined the campaign, urging young people to seek hope and purpose beyond substance abuse. Several organizations, including youth empowerment groups and mental health advocates, are calling for greater investment in education, job creation, and addiction recovery centres.
The resurgence of Kush underscores a painful truth: the battle against drug abuse in Sierra Leone is far from over. Unless decisive action is taken combining law enforcement, social support, and public education the nation risks losing even more of its youth to addiction. As Umaru Fofana’s warning reverberates across the country, one message stands tall: Say no to Kush. Say yes to life.
Government should be in the better place to stop kush. Kush is not manufactured in Sierra Leone, it’s brought in, and government knows everything that comes in and out of the country. A widespread of any imported drugs in a country is known by it’s government.