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. LR News
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