NDLEA clears air over viral cocaine-smuggling video in Kebbi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismissed claims that a secret airstrip in Kebbi State is being used to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria.

The agency described the reports as false, mischievous, and politically motivated.

Kebbi State NDLEA Commander, Rabi’u Abdullahi Sokoto, made this known during a joint press briefing at the Cabinet Office Conference Hall in Birnin Kebbi. The briefing followed an order by NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), for a full investigation into the viral video making the claim.

According to a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed, the NDLEA found no evidence of any secret airstrip in the Argungu forest being used to traffic cocaine between Nigeria and Colombia.

Commander Sokoto said: “We conducted a thorough investigation, and our findings show that the allegations are baseless and lack merit.”

He also described the viral video as “AI-generated and fake,” insisting it was created to mislead the public.

The NDLEA questioned how an alleged hidden airstrip could “accommodate 12 aircraft at a time,” calling the claim illogical.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism and inter-agency cooperation to keep Kebbi State safe from drugs and misinformation.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Yakubu Ahmed described the allegations as “ridiculous and politically driven,” accusing some politicians of trying to discredit Governor Nasir Idris and the people of Kebbi State.

“This is another baseless attack against the governor and our people by desperate politicians. We urge citizens to ignore such propaganda and remain vigilant,” he said.