Table of Contents
An anti-drug campaign has taken centre stage in Imo State schools, as the Nsokpo Dynamic Association (NDA), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Navy joined forces to warn students against substance abuse. The sensitisation drive targeted secondary school pupils ahead of the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse on June 26.
Anti-Drug Campaign Reaches Imo Secondary School
The programme was held at Presentation Secondary School, Ogbaku, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. Organised under the theme ‘Say Yes to Life. Say No to Drugs — It Kills,’ it brought together community leaders, law enforcement officials, medical professionals and educators to address the dangers of drug abuse among young people.
NDLEA officials delivered presentations on the consequences of substance misuse and illicit trafficking, drawing on real-life examples and national data. They urged students to make positive choices and to resist the peer pressure that often pulls teenagers toward drugs in the first place.
Why Schools Are the Front Line
Organisers said schools are a critical battleground in the fight against drug abuse because addiction frequently begins in adolescence. By reaching students early, the campaign aims to build awareness before experimentation hardens into dependence. The event paired blunt warnings with career-development guidance, encouraging pupils to focus on education and long-term goals.
Drug abuse has become a growing public-health concern across Nigeria, with surveys pointing to high rates of substance use among young people. Cannabis, tramadol and codeine-based cough syrups are among the substances most commonly misused, and enforcement agencies have struggled to stem supply through arrests alone.
A Prevention-First Approach
The Imo programme reflects a wider shift toward prevention rather than punishment. While the NDLEA continues to make arrests and seize narcotics nationwide, agencies increasingly pair enforcement with education, treatment and rehabilitation. Officials at the event stressed that those battling dependence should seek help rather than hide in shame.
The campaign also tied into the global observance of World Drug Day, marked annually on June 26 to raise awareness about the impact of illicit drugs. Across Nigeria, similar sensitisation events have rolled out in schools and communities in the run-up to the date.
Speakers warned that the toll of drug abuse extends well beyond health, fuelling crime, dropouts and broken families when it takes hold among teenagers. They told the students that a single decision to refuse drugs could safeguard years of hard work, and encouraged them to report pressure from dealers or peers to trusted adults rather than face it alone.
What Comes Next
Organisers said they hope to expand the sensitisation drive to more schools across Imo State and beyond. They called on parents, teachers and religious leaders to reinforce the message at home and in their communities, arguing that prevention works best when it is consistent and shared.
For the students at Ogbaku, the session offered a stark reminder of the risks drugs pose to health, education and future ambitions — and a clear alternative path built on study, mentorship and informed choices.
