Beware of foods, drinks, laced with hard drugs, varsity VC warns youths

with reports by Olowoyeye Esther

Drugs are meant for positive use but they produce negative consequences when abused.

Those were the words of Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola, the Vice Chancellor, Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State. She was speaking at Easter Fiesta, a gospel music talent hunt show organised in  Ibadan on Easter Monday.

Addressing an audience of young people including upcoming artistes, Prof. Babalola, a professor of pharmacy, warned that drug abuse was killing and destroying many lives and talents.

She regretted the growing abuse of drugs like Codeine and Tramadol by young people wanting to get high, some as a result of peer pressure.

She also advised that “anything you are not sure of, please be cautious or don’t take”. According to her, some people lace foods or drinks with hard drugs in order to deal with or punish others. She said many  blend marijuana with crayfish and other foods for people at birthday parties and other gatherings.

Warning the young people to beware of the kind of friends they keep, she reminded them of some reported cases of murder that were related to relationships, social media, drug abuse and sex.

One of the cases she cited was that of Cynthia Osokogu, a 24-year-old post graduate student of the Nasarawa State University. In 2012, she was drugged and murdered by people she met on Facebook.

Cynthia, who owned a boutique in Keffi, a town in Nasarawa, had travelled from Abuja to Lagos to meet some people, who had told her that they had a business proposal for her. At the meeting, her drink was reportedly drugged and she was strangled, while her assailants made away with her phones, money and other personal belongings.

Prof. Babalola also stated that cases of murder and other crimes were mostly perpetuated by people under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“The best drug to take is Jesus because the holy spirit is capable of making high even without drugs and the best way to be high is on Christ.” she stressed.