Niger: NDLEA rehabilitates 299 drug addicts in 2025

By : Bala Yahaya

Date: 3 January 2026 4:26pm WAT

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Niger State Command, has disclosed that two hundred and ninety-nine (299) drug addicts have been rehabilitated and counselled by the Command to help them overcome drug use between January and December 2025.

The State Commander of the Agency, Commander Shehu Nomau Gwadabawa, made the disclosure during an exclusive interaction with journalists on the command’s remarkable achievements between January and December 2025, held at the command office in Minna on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

He also stated that the command rehabilitated 16 clients, noting that they were brought to the facility for rehabilitation and were all fully freed of drug use and reintegrated into society.

The State Commander also revealed that it has embarked on a 219-day public awareness campaign on drug abuse between January and December 2025, targeting schoolchildren, community members, and organisations across the state.

He noted that part of the landmark successes include drug enforcement, public enlightenment, drug rehabilitation, and the successful conviction of drug dealers within the period under review.

Gwadabawa further explained that all Area Commands and outpost personnel handle public sensitisation accordingly at all levels.

While highlighting the achievements of the command, Nomau revealed that 125 drug dealers, comprising 124 males and one female, were arrested and have all been taken to the Federal High Court, adding that some have been convicted while others are still on trial.

The Commander said, “To be sincere, I owed a lot to my officers, because they have been up and doing. I am only a Commander. I only give directives, but the action is done by my men. I really appreciated their efforts and resilience, because for somebody to intercept three tonnes of drugs, vehicle by vehicle, and to arrest all the dealers, only a God-fearing and dedicated staff can do that. He added that criminals could be ready to offer anything, but my men resisted and arrested them as well, bringing all of them to the command.”

He, however, appreciated the unwavering support of the Niger State government, urging Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago to provide more logistics, especially patrol vehicles, noting that the command has eight area commands, and most offices lack patrol vehicles.

In Nomau’s words, “If vehicles can be given to NDLEA, I assure you that with these developments, we would do more as well as do better.”

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