BAYELSA, Nigeria – A 300-level Petroleum and Gas Engineering student at the Federal University, Otuoke, lost his life to a drug overdose in a tragic turn of events.
Job Alawari, also known as Alas, aged 19, reportedly consumed a drug called Colos, which is popular among undergraduates. This incident has further intensified concerns about the increasing rates of drug abuse and internet fraud among students at the institution.
A fellow student, who requested anonymity, revealed on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, that Alawari had recently “cashed out” (hit a jackpot) on an internet deal and wanted to celebrate by getting “high.”
Unfortunately, the drug handed to him by his friends proved to be fatal. “We are worried. Even the girls now take drugs with reckless abandon. And the school authorities are not bothered because we stay off campus,” the anonymous student lamented.
This tragic incident comes on the heels of another recent death at the university. Bright Akhere, a 200-level student aged 21, lost his life at a swimming pool located at Renew Empire Hotel in Otuoke.
These two events have raised alarm over the high rate of students’ involvement in drugs and internet fraud.
Investigations into the prevalent drug abuse among students, affecting both male and female students and resulting in deaths, have become a cause for concern.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Teddy Adias, and the Bayelsa State Police Command have been notified of the incident, and the police have initiated an investigation. According to the Bayelsa State Police Command, Alawari’s body has been deposited at the morgue for autopsy. As the university community mourns the loss of another young life, questions continue to arise about what can be done to curb the dangerous trends taking hold on campus.
