From Goskolo to Chaskale: Community leaders raise alarm as illicit gin endangers Plateau youths

A new wave of illicit and dangerous gin is gradually sweeping through several parts of Plateau State, drawing youths and even the elderly into a deadly embrace.

Called Chaskale, the gin is said to be deadlier than the famous Goskolo.

Chaskale is a local, highly intoxicating traditional alcoholic drink made from pure or adulterated ethanol, mixed with fermented grains, herbs, and colouring and flavouring to give it different tastes.

According to reports, the drink is deeply rooted in the culture of the Zaar (Sayawa) people of Bauchi State, but crept into Plateau State some years ago and has taken a firm root.

Chaskale has a highly pungent, bitter, and sharp taste, and because it is unrefined and strongly fermented, it has an intense, heavy bite that gives an immediate burning sensation in the throat. 

Drinkers say it is not only consumed for its flavour profile, but for its potency and ability to cause a quick, strong state of drunkenness.

The aftertaste of Chaskale is bitter and leaves a lingering sour, earthy tang on the tongue, inducing severe inebriation and disorientation very quickly.

In most parts of the state, especially in Jos North, Jos South, even as far as Mangu, Pankshin, Shendam, Langtang, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, and other local councils, Chaskale, just like Goskolo, has taken a firm root and has been known to cause various ailments, including liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, diabetes and colon cancer, leading to deaths and, or permanent disability.

Several groups, NGOs, and even worried parents have at various times staged protest marches against the sale and consumption of Chaskale to no avail, while health advocates and community leaders have warned that drinking Chaskale is akin to taking a hard drug, which leads to severe health complications, addiction, and reckless behavior among the youth.

Sometime in May, a group of women, worried about the dangers associated with the production and consumption of the illicit drink, took to the streets of Jos South to stage a protest against it. 

They even went as far as identifying the local brewing dens and destroyed the places and their facilities, but a few days later, the drinking joints were back in business.

According to the women, the widespread use of the alcohol has led to a decline in productivity among young people and has negatively affected the lives of many husbands and households in the community.

Community leaders and health advocacy groups have also called on government and relevant agencies to strictly ban the production, sale, and consumption of Chaskale, as well as implement a total crackdown on producers of these dangerous brews.

Our correspondent interacted with several people who have, in one way or another, been affected by Chaskale and other illicit and dangerous brews in and around Plateau State.

We are calling on the government to ban the sale and consumption of these illicit drinks – Pastor Luka Timothy 

Speaking to DAILY POST, Timothy said, “It is quite sad that our young men and even girls have taken to drinking these illicit drinks, which have turned them into useless and hopeless beings. 

“If you go to the Mangu local government area, where I come from, and see what is going on there, you will weep for this generation.

“Go to Angwan Mata, Kwanan Gindiri, and Angwan Sarki at any time of the day, and you will see what I’m talking about. 

“Boys as young as 18 or 20 years spend the whole day in these places drinking their lives away. They go there in the mornings and drink till late at night. 

“Some of them look like they are up to 40 years old. We have been begging the governments at all levels as well as the House of Assembly to enact a law that will criminalize the sale and consumption of these illicit drinks, but all our efforts have not yielded any fruits, but we will not stop crying out.” 

Chaskele destroyed my family – Mrs. Hanatu Philibus

“Chaskele and Goskolo have destroyed my family. My husband, my second son, and my nephew, the son of my brother, all died from liver disease due to drinking these drinks. 

“When they started drinking, we begged them to stop, but it was like a spirit was controlling them, and no matter what we did, they did not stop. 

“My son was the first to die last year, then my husband died in October, and my nephew died around April this year. These have been devastating for our family, that’s why we are calling on Governor Caleb Mutfwang to ban the drinks,” she said.

“Just one sip and you’re hooked for life” – Isaiah Micah 

Micah, who quit drinking the gin, had this to say: “I used to drink Chaskele heavily, and in fact, there was no day I did not drink, and I was perpetually drunk. 

“I was introduced to the drink by friends, and I can tell you that it cannot be compared to Goskolo, which is even milder than Chakele. 

“To me, there is a certain bad spirit in that drink because just one sip, and you are hooked. 

“When I was taking it, I lost my appetite for food and could go a whole day without eating as long as I was drinking Chaskele. It takes the grace of God and a very strong will to give up the habit once you start. 

“So now what I tell our youths is never to try that first sip because once they do, it will be difficult to get away from it.”

“Government should place a ban on the sale of Chaskale” – Timon Dafe 

“As a youth advocate, I have been going around some areas, particularly in Jos North, where youths take drinking as a pastime. But it is a very deadly and dangerous pastime. 

“My team and I have been preaching to them on the dangers of drinking. You can imagine youths with very bright futures being turned into alcoholics and thereby truncating their existence. Some have resorted to stealing and other forms of criminality to sustain these habits. 

“We have written several times to the state government and other relevant agencies to ban these drinks in Plateau State, and so far, some measures are being taken, but they are not enough.

“However, we will not stop in our advocacy until we achieve that,” the youth advocate stated.