NDLEA, Edo Govt sensitise Niger College students on drug abuse

NDLEA, Edo Govt sensitise Niger College students on drug abuse 

Students of Niger College, Benin City, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, received a strong double warning against drug abuse as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Edo State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Honourable Andrew Efe, took the anti-drug campaign directly to their school assembly.

The outreach was held ahead of the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, marked globally on 26th June, with this year’s UN theme: “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses”.

“Your brain is your phone’s processor – drugs are the virus,” Commander Ofoyeju said while delivering the main presentation titled "CHOOSE YOUR FUTURE: SAY NO TO DRUGS”. Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, engaged the students with direct questions on trending substances like Colos/Colorado, Mkpuru Mmiri/Ice, codeine syrup, and Tramadol/Rohypnol. 

Using simple analogies, Dr Ofoyeju told the SS1-SS3 students: “Your brain is like your phone’s processor. Drugs are the virus. They cause memory loss, poor judgement, addiction, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Your brain is still growing till age 25. If you damage it now with drugs and WAEC, NECO, and university dreams become hard to attain.”

He broke down the consequences into three areas: damage to vital body organs such as lungs, hearts, kidneys and livers. Next is expulsion from school and imprisonment for violating drug offences, while the third is the trick employed to lure people into drug and substance abuse.

The commander taught the students the five D’s to say NO to drugs. They are delay, deflect, decline, distance, and disclose. He assured them that the NDLEA telephone counselling and treatment service is free, confidential, and non-judgemental via the toll-free line 0800-10203040. The session ended with over 300 students standing up and chanting, MY LIFE, MY FUTURE, NO DRUGS!

The Senior Special Assistant to the Edo State Governor on Drug Policy and Trafficking Control, Honourable Andrew Efe, also addressed the students. He reinforced the Governor Monday Okpebholo administration’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking and abuse in Edo State.

“Let me speak to you as a father and as a government official,” Hon. Efe said. “One decision you make in SS2 can cancel your SS3 results and university admission. Tramadol and codeine make you dull. The only ‘high’ that lasts is the high of passing your exams and making your parents proud.”

Hon. Efe urged students to see themselves as “future leaders of Edo” and to report anyone offering drugs in school or on social media. He pledged the state government’s continued partnership with NDLEA on youth empowerment and school-based prevention programmes.

The principal of Niger College, Dr Godwin Idemudia, commended NDLEA and the state government for bringing the message to the students. “This talk came at the right time. Our students need to hear the truth about Colos and Mkpuru Mmiri before traffickers reach them,” he said.

Several students who spoke after the program said the “Two Roads” illustration changed their perspective. “I now understand that saying ‘No’ makes you strong, not weak,” said Osas, an SS2 student.

NDLEA Edo Command reaffirmed its commitment to take the “Choose Your Future” campaign to all 18 LGAs, churches, mosques, and motor parks in 2026 as part of innovative responses to the world drug problem.