The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two elderly men for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to secondary school students in Abia State, raising fresh concerns over the growing involvement of vulnerable youths in substance abuse.
The suspects, aged 84 and 75, were apprehended in separate operations carried out by operatives of the anti-narcotics agency in Umuahia and its surrounding communities.
According to officials, one of the suspects, an 84-year-old pensioner, was intercepted while allegedly attempting to deliver drugs to students near a secondary school. Preliminary investigations revealed that he had reportedly been supplying illicit substances to some students for an extended period.
The second suspect, aged 75, was arrested at a patent medicine store where security operatives recovered various quantities of controlled substances, including opioids believed to have been sold to young people in the area.
Authorities said intelligence reports and community complaints led to the operations, which uncovered an alleged network through which students gained access to prohibited drugs.
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Investigators also questioned some students linked to the case. The agency disclosed that the minors involved would undergo counselling and rehabilitation programmes aimed at helping them overcome substance abuse and reintegrate into society.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to protecting young Nigerians from drug abuse and warned individuals involved in the sale or distribution of illicit substances to stay away from schools and other learning environments.
The agency added that the suspects would face prosecution after the conclusion of investigations, while efforts to identify other persons connected to the alleged drug supply chain remain ongoing.
Officials described the arrests as part of a broader campaign to curb the spread of narcotics among school-aged children and dismantle drug distribution networks operating within local communities.
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