IZUNNA OKAFOR
A yet-to-be-identified lady has reportedly died after allegedly taking Colorado, a psychotropic drug, popularly known as “Colos” — the eponym for the popular slang “On Colos”.
The incident reportedly happened days ago in Awka, the State capital, where the lady was said to have repeatedly taken the psychotropic substance and acted in strange ways before finally giving up the ghost.
This was corroborated by a video and voice note currently trending on the social media about the incident.
While the video showed the lifeless body of the victim lying close to the Y-Junction Axis of the UNIZIK Junction-Okpuno Road, the masculine voice note of an eyewitness that accompanied it explained that she became unconscious and started misbehaving after taking the dangerous drug, even to the point of perambulating the street stack naked.
This, the eyewitness said, made some sympathizers to hold and assist her with a cloth to cover up her nakedness. The sympathizers were also said to have fed her with enough soaked garri to douse the effect of the substance on her.
It was however, reported that shortly after she began to regain her consciousness, she went and took the Colorado again, which eventually led to her collapse, downfall and consequent death along the ever-busy road.
Her corpse was also said to have been taken away by her people after some passersby recognized her and invited her family members, who came and evacuated her corpse.
When contacted by this reporter, the State Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Anambra, Mr. Daniel Onyishi, described such incident as one of the numerous inherent dangers and consequences of drug abuse and how it destroys the youths.
According to him, Colorado is a psychotropic and one of the dangerous drugs that have rendered and still render many people useless in the society, adding that ‘colos’ is also addictive, while its effect is instantaneous, as it flows straight to the bloodstream, affecting one’s mental wellness.
The NDLEA Boss said that such things are what the Agency has been preaching against through its various sensitization programs in secondary schools and other public places in the State, including through the radio program “NDLEA and You” which holds from 11am to 12pm every Tuesday on ABS 88.5FM.
“That is why everybody should stay off drugs and join us to fight drug abuse. If you know anyone who uses or deals on drugs, make NDLEA know. People should not be harbouring such persons or take drug as a business,” Onyishi emphatically stated in a telephone interview with this reporter.