Students in Kirehe District have been called on to desist from abuse and sale of narcotic drugs and instead concentrate on their education and development activities that propel their communities.

The message was delivered by the District Community Liaison Officer of Kirehe, Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Gahigi Harelimana, during an ongoing sensitisation campaign for students in the region, held at Nasho Parents School.

The awareness campaign was also attended by local leaders and residents of Kirehe.

AIP Gahigi challenged students to be exemplary and be agents of change both in their schools and communities by denouncing the use of narcotics and working with authorities to report drug dealers who especially target the youth and students in particular.

"You should be confident and stand up to any individual who wants to introduce you to drugs, be it a relative or any member of society. Instead of indulging in such worthless activities, work hard and live to your expectations,” Kayigi told the students.

"Drug abuse leads to several ill activities in society, including violence, burglary and gender based crimes like rape and defilement. The country expects the youth to be the light of society.

Therefore, you need to focus on your studies and enrich your skills so that you can be beneficial in rebuilding Rwanda.”

He reminded the students to be ambassadors of the law by educating their fellow youth back in their home communities about the dangers associated with abusing drugs, and also called on their mentors in schools to be vigilant and report any criminal activities that may occur within the school premises.

The Director of Nasho Parents School, Paul Bicamumpaka, commended Police for continuously reaching out to students with positive messages against drug abuse, gender-based violence, and for providing basic knowledge about crime prevention and on criminals who target the youth for human trafficking.

"Rwanda National Police has been influential in ensuring that the young people in school understand the law and their rights,” Bicamumpaka said.

"They also know the kind of criminals such as drug dealers and human traffickers who want to exploit them – and they now know that providing timely reports to authorities is essential in maintaining safety and security.”

The sensitisation meeting was part of RNP’s larger countrywide campaigns aimed at fighting and preventing the use and sell of narcotics and other illicit drugs in schools and communities.

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