UNILAG tests students for hard drugs, nabs 100 users

*Published* *November 11, 2017*


UNILAG
In a bid to check drug abuse on campus, the University of Lagos has provided a drug test kit in its medical centre to examine students suspected to be on hard drugs.
The institution said no less than 100 illicit drug users were caught within a year of commencement of the tests .
Outgoing Vice- Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Rahaman Bello, confirmed this at a forum with News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos .
Bello said the initiative was necessary because drug abuse was on the increase , generally , in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

“ Drug abuse is a major problem for every institution , particularly those in the cities . We have gone ahead in the University of Lagos to address it.
“ With the test kit, anyone who is suspected, his/her urine or blood — depending on what we want to do — is collected for test.
“ The thing about drug is that when you take it, it will be in your blood for a long time , so you cannot say , ‘ I did not use it’ once the test kit detects it.
“ Before we started using the test kit , everyone we picked denied using drug since we could not find any evidence , ” he said .
According to him , with the test kit, the university has been able to pin down victims, but granted them amnesty .
He said although the university’ s regulation provides that *any student found dealing with drug should be expelled* , the management had been warning and rehabilitating culprits .
“ With the rehabilitation, the victims are given two or three semesters to ‘ get clean. ’ By this , we mean they will visit the medical centre on a monthly basis to get tested.
“ If , after two or three visits , you are found clean, we will admit you back to the system ; if not , you are sent out.
“ This we do not to unnecessarily punish them , but to assist them to find a way to regain themselves, ” he said .
Bello said about 100 students of the university were detected to be using hard drugs in 2016.
“ One hundred out of over 50, 000 students ( 35, 000 full-time and 15, 000 to 17, 000 part-time) may seem insignificant, but to us , one person on drug is a problem to the university community .
“ If the individual is not stopped, he or she will influence so many others , ” he said .
On cultism, Bello said it was a cankerworm in the education sector, just as are examination malpractice and drug abuse .
He said cultism affects even secondary schools and sometimes , primary schools also.
According to him , some institution in cities such as the University of Lagos would need to intensity efforts to check cultism because they are located in infested communities.
Bello said the university’ s management keeps a watch on cult activities through intelligence network.
“ We get to know once anything comes up, and we nip it in the bud. We may not have completely wiped off cultism , but it has been drastically reduced , ” he said .