A man, Ikechukwu Paul, got knocked out after consuming methamphetamine, locally called mkpuru mmiri, in in Kubwa, a town in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mkpuru mmiri, coined from the Igbo language, is loosely translated as “seed of water”.

A witness, Tijjani Mustapha, told our reporter in Hausa on Monday that it was meant to be a bet worth N20,000 among some Igbo youths, and that Paul decided to participate.

Mustapha said, “The bet was all about who could take two cubes of the substance and still remain stable. In less than three minutes after consuming it, Paul became restless and began to sweat profusely.

“Other competitors advised him to try and vomit the substance but he insisted on hanging on, saying he wanted the N20,000 badly. Few minutes later, he started exhibiting the traits of an insane person.”

He further said that it took the intervention of four able-bodied men to hold Paul down and tie him up.

He added that, “When we saw that there was no improvement in his condition after pouring several sachets of water on him, we alerted his family. They rushed him to a private mental rehab facility here in Abuja. I learnt he is getting well.”

Another resident, Badmus Olayinka, said the youths had been engaging in such contests, adding that, “I wasn’t surprised because I knew it would happen one day.”

A medical doctor, Kuti Demilade Kehinde, told our reporter that methamphetamine or crystal meth, a highly addictive stimulant similar to cocaine, was now on high abuse by Nigerian youths.

Dr Kehinde explained that, “The abuse is seen in all parts of Nigeria. It is an extremely potent and addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system and several other systems of the body.” (Daily Trust)