The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Bayelsa State Command, has arrested 600 suspected drug offenders and seized over 621 kilogrammes of illicit substances in the course of its operations in 2025.
State Commander, Kanu Sunny Chukwuemeka, CN, disclosed this while presenting the command’s operational scorecard for the year under review.
According to him, the command embarked on a series of undercover operations, motorised patrols and coordinated raids on identified drug joints, shops, houses, hotels, bars and other transportation channels used for drug trafficking. He said the operations were aimed at cutting down supply and reducing the demand for illicit drugs across the state.
A breakdown of the arrests showed that 407 male suspects and 193 female suspects were apprehended, bringing the total number of persons arrested to 600.
In terms of seizures, the command confiscated 621.556 kilogrammes of various illicit drugs. This included 51,445 tablets and capsules, 658 ampoules of injection bottles, and 224 bottles of codeine containing psychotropic substances and opioids.
The Commander revealed that a combined mixture of cannabis sativa and alcohol—popularly known as “koskorin,” “monkey tail,” or “wisdom wine”—remains the most prevalent and commonly abused substance in Bayelsa State in 2025. A total of 435.055 litres of the mixture, weighing 365.53 kilogrammes, was seized during the period. He noted that individuals within the age bracket of 21 to 25 years constitute the highest number of drug abusers in the state. The total street value of the drugs seized was estimated at N64,783,951.1. Geographically, Yenagoa Local Government Area recorded the highest number of arrests with 407 cases, followed by Ogbia Local Government Area with 79 arrests. On prosecution, the command filed 20 cases at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa, securing eight convictions. Three cases were struck out, while one was withdrawn. In the area of treatment and
rehabilitation, a total of 621 persons—comprising 461 males and 160 females—were referred from the Investigation Unit for counselling. The command also successfully rehabilitated 34 clients after completing the mandatory three-month counselling programme, while others are still undergoing treatment at the facility. The Command further conducted 671 Drug Integrity Tests for students, non-students and clients admitted into its rehabilitation centre.
Commander Chukwuemeka expressed concern over the increasing rate of cannabis sativa abuse in the state, particularly its mixture with alcohol. He lamented that more residents are failing the Drug Integrity Test due to consumption of the substance. He called on the Bayelsa State Government, the Bayelsa State Drug Abuse Prevention Addiction and Rehabilitation Committee (BADAPARC), and other relevant stakeholders to collaborate with the agency to reduce substance abuse to the barest minimum in the state.
The statement was signed by SN Daniel Howells Obah, Public Relations Officer, NDLEA Bayelsa State Command, on behalf of the State Commander.