The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a stark warning about Nigeria's escalating drug abuse epidemic, highlighting its severe threat to the nation's workforce, public safety, and economic foundation. The agency's Delta State Command recently underscored this crisis by intercepting a massive consignment of illicit substances in Asaba.
Alarming Statistics Reveal National Emergency
Commander of the NDLEA in Delta State, Halilu Hamidu, presented disturbing figures during a briefing in Ogwashi Uku on 17 December 2025. He referenced a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report indicating that 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged 15 to 64—the core of the country's productive population—engage in non-medical drug use.
Hamidu further detailed that the report shows 10.4 per cent of the population consumes psychoactive substances. A particularly concerning trend is that one in every four users is female, signaling a broadening social reach of the menace beyond traditional demographics.
Delta State Reflects a Troubling National Trend
The Commander stated that Delta State is a microcosm of the national disaster. Numerous communities are grappling with high levels of drug abuse, where the impact transcends individual addiction to destabilize families, neighborhoods, and the entire social fabric.
"The consequences are severe," Hamidu emphasized. "Drug abuse places enormous strain on public health services, fuels crime and insecurity, and weakens economic productivity as young people who should drive development become trapped in addiction." He stressed that in practical terms, drugs hinder progress, threaten community safety, and slow the state's development.
Strategic Response: Cracking Down on Supply and Demand
In response to the growing threat, the NDLEA has elevated drug control to a top-tier security and public health priority. The Delta Command has strengthened its operational framework to confront traffickers head-on, dismantle distribution networks, and reduce demand.
Hamidu explained that the strategy is two-pronged: supply reduction and demand reduction. Operationally, this means intensifying arrests, disrupting trafficking routes, and prosecuting offenders. On the social front, the agency is expanding counselling services, rehabilitation programmes, advocacy campaigns, and grassroots sensitization, making prevention and care the backbone of its efforts.
Major Warehouse Raid in Asaba
Demonstrating this renewed vigor, NDLEA operatives conducted a successful raid on a warehouse located at Oko Market in Asaba. The operation led to the interception of large quantities of illicit and controlled substances, including:
- Tramadol
- Rohypnol
- Hypnox
- Diazepam
- Exol-5
- Codeine
Hamidu issued a grave warning about the potential impact of the seized drugs. "The circulation of such drugs poses a severe threat to the safety, health and wellbeing of our youths, our markets and the state at large," he said. "Left unchecked, this single warehouse could have fuelled addiction, crime and tragedy across Delta State and beyond."
He assured the public that investigations are ongoing, with the Command actively pursuing all leads to identify, track, and arrest those responsible for storing and trafficking the deadly substances.
Concluding his address, Commander Hamidu reaffirmed the agency's dedication: "Our actions during this Yuletide season reflect our unwavering commitment to keep Delta State safe, stable and secure, no matter the challenges before us." The seizure and the accompanying warning highlight a critical battlefront in Nigeria's fight against a drug crisis that is undermining its future.
