NDLEA Investigates Cocaine Smuggling Allegations in Kebbi, Finds No Secret Airport

By Umar Faruk

Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria

October 29, 2025(Series News Online)

The National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kebbi State Command has debunked allegations of a clandestine airstrip in Kebbi State, allegedly used for smuggling cocaine into the country. The agency's Kebbi State Commander, Rabi'u Abdullahi Sokoto, made this known in a joint press briefing held at the Cabinet Office Conference Hall in Haliru Audu, Birnin Kebbi.

Commander Sokoto stated that the NDLEA's investigation, which was ordered by the agency's Chairman, Gen. Buba Marwa, found no evidence to support the claims of a secret airport in Argungu forest, allegedly used for cocaine trafficking between Nigeria and Bogota, Colombia. "We conducted a thorough investigation, and our findings indicate that the allegations are baseless and lack merit," he said.

The Commander questioned the plausibility of the allegations, asking, "How could an obscure airstrip possibly accommodate 12 aircraft at a time?" He also noted that the short video clip circulating on social media, which purported to show the alleged airstrip, was "clearly AI-generated, designed to divert attention and serve ulterior motives."

The Kebbi State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed, who spoke at the briefing, condemned the false allegations, describing them as "patently ridiculous and laughable." He attributed the claims to desperate politicians seeking to tarnish the image of Governor Nasir Idris and the people of Kebbi State.

"This is a continuation of the frivolous allegations against the governor and the good people of Kebbi by politicians who are hell-bent on assuming power by any means necessary," Ahmad stated. He urged residents of Kebbi State to remain vigilant and ignore the malicious propaganda, emphasizing that "the enemies of the state will continue to devise more schemes, but we must not give them the opportunity to succeed."