NIGERIA: NDLEA Arrests 339 Suspects, Seizes Over 7,700kg of Illicit Drugs in Kogi

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested 339 suspects and seized 7,746.896 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs in Kogi State, as part of intensified enforcement operations targeting drug trafficking and abuse.

The seized substances include cannabis, cocaine, tramadol and other psychotropic drugs, according to the Kogi State Commander of the NDLEA, Mustapha Yahuza, who briefed journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Lokoja.

Yahuza, an Assistant Commander General of Narcotics, said the command also secured 80 convictions in 2025, with offenders handed varying jail terms by the courts. He described the outcome as evidence of sustained pressure on illicit drug networks within the state.

Beyond enforcement, the commander said the agency expanded its drug demand reduction initiatives, focusing on public awareness and prevention campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse programme.

Yahuza said: “In the area of Drug Demand Reduction, about 71 campaigns were carried out in motor parks, schools, marketplaces, mosques and churches.”

He added that 238 drug-dependent persons received counselling through intervention programmes during the review period, aimed at rehabilitation and reintegration.

Yahuza further disclosed that the command partnered with a non-governmental organisation, the Ohunene Empowerment Initiative, to strengthen public enlightenment efforts. The initiative is supported by the wife of the Kogi State Governor, Hajiya Sefinat Ododo.

According to him, collaboration between the NDLEA and the Kogi State Government has also led to the establishment of a State Drug Control Committee to coordinate policies addressing both drug supply and demand across the state.

The agency said the combined enforcement, prevention and rehabilitation strategies are designed to reduce drug-related crimes while promoting community awareness about the dangers o

f substance abuse.