By Oluwatobi Omotosho
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has attributed the rising cases of drug abuse among students and youths in Malete, Kwara State, to the increasing number of club houses operating around Kwara State University (KWASU).
The Kwara State Commander of the NDLEA, Fatima Popoola, stated this during a sensitisation programme on the dangers of drug abuse organised by the agency in collaboration with the university.
Popoola disclosed that the agency had recorded repeated arrests linked to the abuse of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, describing the trend as alarming. She said investigations revealed that the substance is commonly abused at parties and other social gatherings held in some club houses within the community.
The NDLEA Commander also accused some landlords and house agents of unknowingly aiding drug trafficking by renting apartments in student hostels to non-students who allegedly use the premises as distribution centres for illicit drugs. She urged landlords and agents to properly screen prospective tenants and prevent criminal elements from operating within student communities.
She further revealed that the agency had arrested several students, including female undergraduates, for drug-related offences, with some suspects claiming they turned to drug trafficking to finance their education.
Popoola commended the management of Kwara State University for adopting the Federal Government’s drug integrity testing policy, noting that KWASU was the first tertiary institution in the state to implement the initiative. She added that the exercise has since been extended to other institutions across Kwara State.
The NDLEA Commander announced that the agency had secured approval to establish an operational office in Malete to strengthen surveillance and enforcement against drug-related activities.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Luqman Jimoh, reaffirmed the institution’s zero-tolerance policy on drug abuse and other social vices. He said the university remains committed to maintaining a safe learning environment and warned that any student found involved in drug abuse or related offences would face appropriate disciplinary action.
