ENUGU: The Abia State Commandant of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr. Akindele Akingbade, has disclosed that a Junior Secondary School student in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, whose identity has yet to be known, reportedly died after he allegedly took 10 tablets of Tramadol.
Akingbade stated this on Wednesday in Umuahia while delivering a lecture at a seminar organised by his agency, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu on Narcotics and Abia State Drug Abuse Control Committee.
The seminar was organised for patent drug dealers in Abia Central Senatorial District.
He pointed out that the student was said to have taken the tablets to enhance his performance during an inter-house sports competition being organised in his school.
The deceased, according to Akingbade, was billed to participate in the competition before he died.
Akingbade explained that the JSS student died shortly after taking the drugs.
He disclosed that Abia was among top ranked states in the country with high level of drug/substance abuse, stating that the governor of the state had been informed about the incident.
Explaining that efforts were being made to apprehend the seller of the banned drug as directed by the governor, he warned patent drug dealers against selling drugs without prescription from medical doctors or pharmacists.
He attributed high rate of criminal activities, including armed robbery, rape, kidnapping, etc. to the negative effects of allowing illicit drugs to get into wrong hands.
The NDLEA state commandant said that apart from the agency’s resolve to take the awareness campaign against selling of harmful drugs to the abusers, the agency had begun encouraging schools to establish Drug-Free Clubs in their schools in order to discourage students from abusing drugs or taking illicit drugs.
He pointed out that the dangerous effects of abusing drugs or consumption of illicit drugs on human health were better prevented than treated.
The Director, Pharmaceutical Services, Ministry of Health, Chief Chimezie Uzuegbu, and Senior Special Assistant to Governor, David Anyanwu, commended the NDLEA for its “tireless” efforts in ensuring that the activities of drug dealers and users were brought to the lowest ebb.
Anyanwu specifically called for proper funding of NDLEA by the Federal Government, saying that he was sure that the agency would do more if it should have the necessary logistics and manpower needed to do its jobs effectively.
( PUNCH)
