By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has rescued an unidentified middle-aged man who was found unconscious by the roadside along Oby Okoli Avenue, near the UNIZIK Temporary Site in Awka, in what authorities suspect to be a case linked to hard drug abuse.
The Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who said the victim was rescued by Police Operatives attached to the B Division during a routine midday patrol on Tuesday, July 15.
According to the Police spokesperson, the operatives found the man lying unconscious by the roadside without any visible signs of struggle or injuries suggestive of violence.
He said the officers immediately evacuated the victim to the Police Hospital in Awka, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.
SP Ikenga explained that a search conducted on the victim did not yield any means of identification or mobile phone that could assist the Police in tracing his identity or contacting his relatives.
He added that preliminary assessment suggested that the victim might have been under the influence of hard drugs at the time he was found, although efforts were still ongoing to establish his identity and notify his family members.
The Police Public Relations Officer said the incident points to the growing dangers associated with substance abuse and drug addiction, particularly among young people, stressing that such habits continue to pose serious risks to individuals, families and the wider society.
According to him, the Command remains committed to addressing the menace through the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), which focuses on preventive policing, public enlightenment, advocacy and collaboration with relevant stakeholders to discourage drug abuse, cultism and other social vices.
He assured that the Command would provide further updates as efforts to identify the victim and locate his relatives progress.
