NDLEA blames rising club houses for drug abuse in Kwara community
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has blamed the proliferation of club houses around Kwara State University, Malete, for the rising cases of drug abuse among students and youths in the...
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has blamed the proliferation of club houses around Kwara State University, Malete, for the rising cases of drug abuse among students and youths in the community.
The Kwara State Commander of the NDLEA, Fatima Popoola, stated this on Tuesday during a sensitisation programme on the effects of drug abuse organised by the agency in collaboration with the university.
Popoola said the agency had repeatedly made arrests linked to the abuse of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, in Malete, describing the trend as alarming and deeply troubling. “We have been making repeated arrests involving the abuse of laughing gas in Malete town, and this is very heartbreaking. In fact, one suspect was arrested behind a hostel located outside the school premises,” she said.
She attributed the growing prevalence of substance abuse among young people to the increasing number of club houses springing up in the university community. “There are many club houses in Malete, and laughing gas is being abused by young people at parties and other social gatherings. When it is inhaled, it affects the brain, causing users to laugh uncontrollably and behave abnormally.
“Establishing clubs where young people gather is not a crime. What is important is the kind of activities taking place there, and that is where our concern lies,” she added.
Popoola 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 drug distribution points. “In many off-campus hostels, we have discovered that some people rent rooms among students solely to sell drugs. This particularly concerns house agents who assist students in securing accommodation. You must know the kind of people you are helping to rent apartments,” she said.
“Some individuals deliberately rent rooms inside student hostels just to sell drugs. We have carried out several operations in different hostels across Malete and arrested many drug dealers. When a drug dealer lives among students, there is a greater tendency for those who have never used drugs to be tempted because the substances are readily available at their doorstep.
“We have arrested students who were involved in selling drugs, especially female students. During interrogation, many of them claimed they ventured into the illicit trade because they wanted to sponsor their education,” she stated.
Popoola commended the management of KWASU for embracing the Federal Government’s drug integrity testing policy, revealing that the institution was the first tertiary institution in Kwara State where the initiative was implemented. “We are not happy with what is happening in Malete and its environs, but I must commend the university because it is making genuine efforts to address the problem. KWASU was the first institution in the state where we conducted drug integrity tests, and we have since extended the exercise to other schools,” she said.
“The objective is to eliminate every form of drug abuse that can negatively affect students’ academic performance and overall well-being.”
She urged house agents and landlords to be more vigilant in screening prospective tenants, insisting that student hostels should not be occupied by non-students engaged in criminal activities. “Tell the house agents that we are monitoring them closely. They should stop allocating rooms in student hostels to people who are not students because many of them rent such apartments to sell drugs to students, in addition to those operating around the clubs,” Popoola warned.
Addressing landlords, the NDLEA commander lamented that while the establishment of KWASU had transformed Malete into a thriving commercial town, many property owners had failed to monitor activities within their buildings.
“Malete was once a peaceful agrarian settlement before the establishment of KWASU. The university brought development and economic prosperity to the town, but unfortunately, many landlords are not paying attention to what is happening in the houses they rent out.
“Why should someone rent a house only to use it for selling drugs to students? Landlords must rise to the occasion and reject such activities. Likewise, the increasing number of club houses is contributing to the growing prevalence of drug abuse in the community and among students. Drug abuse among students will not be tolerated. The next time we come here, it will not be for sensitisation. Enforcement begins immediately,” Popoola declared.
The NDLEA commander also announced that the agency had secured approval to establish an operational office in Malete to strengthen surveillance and enforcement activities.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Prof. Luqman Jimoh, reaffirmed the institution’s zero-tolerance policy on drug abuse and other social vices. He described drug abuse as one of the most serious social and public health challenges confronting society, noting that it undermines academic performance, fuels criminality, destroys careers and deprives young people of their future.
“At Kwara State University, we maintain zero tolerance for drug abuse and every other form of social vice. We are committed to providing a safe and conducive learning environment where discipline, integrity and responsible conduct are upheld,” Jimoh said.
The VC warned that the university would not hesitate to invoke its disciplinary procedures against any student found culpable of drug abuse or any act capable of bringing the institution into disrepute. “While we remain firm in enforcing our regulations, we also believe that prevention through education and sustained sensitisation is the most effective approach. Today’s programme reflects that commitment,” he added.
