It was a dramatic scene in Awka, the Anambra State capital, as a young man identified as Kingsley Uzodimma collapsed and became unconscious after allegedly smoking Colorado, a psychotropic drug, popularly known as “Colos” — the eponym for the popular slang “On Colos”.
The incident, which occurred at about 1.pm on Friday, happened Off the St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church Junction, UNIZIK Temp. Site, Awka.
The attention of this reporter, Izunna Okafor, was drawn to the scene when he saw an unusual gathering of persons, with a young man lying unconscious at the center with his clothes wet and sandy.
Some of the persons who surrounded him were seen pouring water on him while on ground; even as passersby and some persons at nearby eateries also joined the scene to feed their eyes.
Shortly as that was going on, a tricycle sped into the area, while the unconscious man was hurried boarded into it and whisked away, alongside two persons who held his head and legs inside the tricycle. Few other persons at the scene also flagged down another tricycle, which they hurriedly boarded while it also zoomed off towards the same direction as the first one.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, it was the further enquiries made by this reporter and his interaction with some of the spectators and shop owners in the area that revealed the full identity of the unconscious man as Kingsley Uzodimma, who was also said to be a tenant in one of the lodges in the area.
Although he is popularly known by his nickname, ‘King’, Uzodimma, who should be in his early 30s, was said to be a native of Ebonyi State but resident in Awka where he was previously riding a tricycle (Keke) for a man under hire purchase agreement before they recently had issues over remittances and the tricycle was retrieved from him.
While some of the shop owners claimed that Uzodimma is an only son, some others refuted the claim, arguing that they had seen his biological siblings visit him sometime.
“I know the guy very well; him been dey smoke weed together with these guys sometimes. But I hear say wetin them give am now nah ‘colos’, and him no know. And him come drag am like ordinary weed, nah im the thing come knock him brain,” one of the denizens explained in pidgin English.
She further revealed that ‘King’ earlier started acting strange and ‘scattering things’ after smoking the substance, before his friends held him and began to pour him water and feed him with soaked garri before the time he became unconscious.
This reporter also gathered that it was King’s friends who invited the tricycle that whisked him away to an undisclosed hospital for urgent medical attention.
His health condition still remains ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
When contacted by this reporter, the State Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Anambra, Mr. Daniel Onyishi described the 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 11.am to 12.pm every Tuesday on ABS 88.5FM.
While condemning the claims by some people who say that hard drugs give them inspiration; Mr. Onyishi, who described that as false impression, stressed that drugs do not give inspiration, and do make one creative, intelligent, or smarter, let alone allowing the person contribute positively in the society.
“Just like that guy now, if he was a student, then he is done with schooling for now, because he cannot continue. And he would be moved to psychiatric. Until he is corrected, he cannot continue, like I said before.
“And, as it is now, he can no longer contribute positively or add meaningfully to the society again. Before he gets back to his normal self, you should know what it would cost him, his family and the state.
“That is why everybody should stay off drugs and join us to fight drug abuse. If you know anyone who deals on drugs, make NDLEA know. People should not be harbouring such persons or take drug as a business. Selling drug is not a business,” Onyishi emphatically stated in a telephone interview with this reporter.
While recounting some of the feats achieved by the Agency and its activities in fighting drug abuse, he further reassured that the Agency would not relent in carrying out its lawful duty in the State, expressing his optimism that the Agency’s new collaboration with the wife of the State Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, who is now the Chairperson of the State’s Drug Control Committee, would yield more fruitful and impactful results.
By Izunna Okafor, Awka