The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned athletes against the dangers of performance enhancing drugs, stressing that doping poses serious health risks to the liver, kidney and brain.
The Ogun State Commander of NDLEA, Tijani Rabe, gave the warning on Tuesday when the executive members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Ogun State chapter, visited the command’s office in Abeokuta as part of activities marking the 5th edition of the SWAN Security Cup.
Rabe, who was represented by the Deputy Commander in charge of Narcotics, Mrs. Ifeoma Eucharia, said the agency is deeply concerned about the rising cases of drug abuse among youths, particularly within the sporting community.
He explained that while sports remain a powerful tool to curb drug abuse, many athletes still fall into the trap of using banned substances either to boost performance or to suppress pain.
“Some sports men and women use performance enhancement drugs to stimulate their body system, but it affects their liver, kidney, and brain in the long run. Most times, when they want to manage pain, they resort to drug intake. They even take substances to reduce heartbeat, but there are consequences to this practice,” he said.
Rabe urged SWAN to partner with the agency in sensitising athletes and the general public on the dangers of drug use, noting that boredom remains one of the major reasons young people turn to drugs, a void that sports can effectively fill.
He also commended SWAN for bringing security agencies together through the Security Cup, describing the initiative as a way to strengthen trust between security operatives and the people. He further encouraged the association to expand the competition to include indoor games such as volleyball, badminton, table tennis, scrabble, ayo olopon, ludo and boxing.
“I commend SWAN for your community engagement, for trying to bring the security personnel closer to the people, so that the people will not see us as enemies. We are part of society, and people should see us as their friends,” he added.
Speaking earlier, the SWAN Chairman, Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji, applauded NDLEA for its fight against drug abuse, stressing that the association is committed to using the Security Cup to foster unity among security agencies in the state.
Ogunsiji said, “The SWAN Security Cup is more than just a football competition, it is a platform to unite our security agencies and foster peaceful coexistence with the people they serve.”
“We are glad to have NDLEA on board in this mission, and we assure you that sports writers in Ogun State will continue to support the campaign against drug abuse, especially among our youths and athletes.”
