NDLEA: Nearly Half of Undergraduates in Oyo State Abusing Drugs
The Oyo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised alarm over rising drug abuse among young people, revealing that nearly half of all undergraduates in the state are involved in drug use.
Commander Olayinke Joe-Fadile made this disclosure on Wednesday during a rally in Ibadan to mark the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as World Drug Day. The global theme for this year is “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention, Break the Circle.”
“We now can see children from age nine upward taking drugs,” Joe-Fadile said. “The statistics are also showing us that about four to five out of 10 undergraduates are into drugs.”
He said the NDLEA is intensifying its preventive campaigns in schools, including tertiary institutions, as the age of first exposure continues to drop. In recent months, the agency has arrested 150 suspects and destroyed about 11 tons of various illicit drugs.
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Warning that drug abuse could lead to organ failure and slow, painful death, the commander vowed that dealers and traffickers in the state would face prosecution.
“We believe that every day is for the thieves, but one day is for the owner. NDLEA will soon knock at the doors of drug peddlers to pick them up for prosecution,” he said.
Joe-Fadile also highlighted ongoing partnerships with traditional rulers and religious leaders, who are now being mobilized as campaign ambassadors to combat the crisis at community level.
The anti-drug rally drew participation from several federal agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Federal Road Safety Corps, Customs, Immigration, and members of the National Youth Service Corps.
