Crime

West Africa’s drug trafficking surge fuels local addiction

Published

8 months ago

October 3, 2025

Drug trafficking through West Africa is deepening addiction and straining public resources in some of the world’s poorest countries, used to transit contraband towards Europe.

The United Nations sounded the alarm last year that smuggling through the Sahel — a semi-arid region below the Sahara where poverty and armed groups are rife — was on the rise, noting an increase in large-scale cocaine seizures in recent years.

But government officials, doctors and researchers told AFP such trafficking — in addition to providing money for criminal groups — leads to contraband spilling over into the local market in low-income countries, where treatment options are sparse.

“Once it finds its way into the system, even if the rationale behind it is to export it to other countries, some will find itself within the country,” said Alexander Twum Barimah, deputy director general of the Narcotics Control Commission in Ghana.

West Africa has long been “a natural stopover” for drugs — mostly cocaine from Latin America — making their way to North Africa and Europe, mostly through maritime routes but increasingly overland, a 2024 report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) noted.

Heroin and meth from Asia also pass through the region, en route from east and southern Africa towards Europe, according to the UN.

While drug profits are higher in Europe, some contraband ends up diverted along the way, notably when low-level traffickers are paid in-kind, experts say.

According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime (GI-TOC), as much as 30 per cent of Europe’s cocaine could be transiting through West Africa, as routes from South America come under pressure from law enforcement and European demand rises.

The problem of drug abuse is not new in West Africa, and some drugs, including cannabis and meth, are produced locally.

But countries in the region can hardly handle the influx from trafficking.

According to 2019 UN data, 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 years had used drugs in the past year — more than double the global average of 5.6 per cent.

That figure is expected to keep rising, Akanidomo Ibanga, Nigeria country project officer for the UNODC, told AFP, due to trafficking, the proliferation of conflict and a booming youth population facing a lack of economic opportunities.

– Rehab centres lacking –

Six states in Nigeria don’t have a single drug treatment centre, while another nine only have one, according to a 2022 count.

The entire country of more than 200 million people has only 2,500 beds, Ibanga said — meaning some 10,000 people can be treated in a given year, out of the estimated three million Nigerians who need help.

On a quiet street on the outskirts of Abuja, the offices of Vanguard Against Drug Abuse lie behind an unmarked gate, indistinguishable from the houses around it, in an effort to provide privacy for those staying there.

Inside are chess boards, a ping pong table and meeting spaces for group therapy. Its 600,000 naira ($400) per month rate for in-patient therapy is described by founder Abraham Hope Omeiza as heavily discounted — but is still nearly nine times the minimum wage.

The 500 or so people Vanguard treats in both in-patient and out-patient therapy each year “is not enough”, Omeiza told AFP.

– Shifting local markets –

Moving drugs through West Africa also entrenches corruption in the region, researchers warn.

In Sierra Leone, investigative journalists have linked Dutch national Jos Leijdekkers, who is on Europol’s most-wanted list for cocaine trafficking, to the local political elite, including the president’s family.

The country, which only has a single psychiatric hospital, is currently battling an epidemic of people using kush — a synthetic cannabinoid used locally — as well as crack, derived from cocaine.

Ibrahim Kargbo, a senior director at the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, told AFP his agency is worried Sierra Leone “is rapidly becoming a trafficking corridor”.

In Ghana, a 2021 survey found cocaine was the most widely abused drug in the greater Accra region, followed by heroin and crack.

The region is also seeing an influx of tramadol, an opioid imported for the domestic market, but which has been aided in part by the success of heroin dealers.

In recent months, Ghanaian authorities have put out education campaigns against “red”, a high-strength variant of tramadol.

“If you are in that space where you cannot afford heroin, you rely on red,” said Maria-Goretti Ane Loglo, who has researched drug use in Ghana.

Nana Twum, a farmer in Ghana’s Western Region, told AFP earlier this year that “when I use them, I feel stronger at work.”

“But I have realised it is affecting me because I become weak when the drug wears off,” he said, adding that he was hoping to wean himself off.

A few weeks later, he was receiving treatment at the Nkwanta Regional Hospital.

“The process has not been easy, but I know it is the best choice,” he said.

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Crime

Bandits behead abducted Oyo teacher

Published

1 hour ago

May 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

One of the kidnapped teachers of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Michael Oyedokun, has been killed.

Oyedokun was beheaded in a new video allegedly released by bandits on Sunday.

The video obtained by our correspondent on Telegram on Monday showed that the teacher was gruesomely killed after being tied and forced to speak.

The viral inhumane video has raised fresh concerns over the safety of the remaining victims.

This latest development has thrown the community into mourning as residents, families of the victims and native continue to call on security agencies and the Oyo State Government to intensify rescue operations to secure the release of those still in captivity before being killed.

Confirming the killing of the teacher, Dr Suleimon Olanrewaju, the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde, in a statement on Monday, said the governor extended his condolences to the victim’s family and assured his government would explore both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to rescue others in the kidnappers’ den.

He also added that about six suspects related to the kidnapping incident have been arrested.

He equally sympathised with the family members of the tactical team of soldiers, Amotekun Corps and local vigilantes, who lost their lives in the rescue operation.

According to him, the operatives lost their lives when they ran into Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), planted by the abductors.

He stated that the wounded security personnel were responding positively to treatment and that the government would spare no cost in taking care of them.

He appealed to the victims’ relatives, religious bodies and other interested parties to exercise patience, promising that the government will rescue and reunite the victims with their families.

“So, please, there may not be quick fixes, but we will continue to endeavour to push ourselves to the limit to resolve this quickly.

“What we know right now is that seven teachers in all were abducted. And, unfortunately, we got a video this morning that one of the teachers, I understand, the mathematics teacher, was killed by the terrorists,” he stated.

Makinde, however, said the government has achieved some success with the operation, with some individuals already arrested in connection with the situation.

“Well, from the information available from the Commissioner of Police, about six individuals have been arrested within the locality.

“Some of them, we believe, are perhaps informants or people running logistics for the terrorists.

“Also, three individuals of interest have been arrested by another security outfit within the state,” he said.

PUNCH Online reports that the gunmen invaded the school on Friday, May 15, and abducted the principal, alongside other teachers and several students.

The attack, which happened some weeks after a failed kidnap attempt that left one traveler dead along the Ibadan-Ijebu road, has renewed concerns over rising insecurity in parts of Oyo State and across Nigeria.

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Crime

Hoodlums rape Lagos sexagenarian to death

Published

9 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Residents of Oke Egan in the Ilogbo-Eremi area of Badagry, Lagos State, were thrown into shock on Friday after the body of a sexagenarian woman, Victoria Adegoke, was found abandoned in a nearby bush.

PUNCH Metro learnt from community sources on Sunday that the deceased was allegedly found naked and was suspected of having been raped and strangled before her body was dragged into the bush.

One of the photographs obtained by PUNCH Metro on Sunday showed what appeared to be marks indicating that the victim’s hands had been tied by her assailants.

A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the incident, said Adegoke, believed to be in her 60s and a grandmother, was found around 6:10am on Friday.

He told our correspondent that the deceased had attended a programme at The Joy of Christ Ministry, popularly known as Ayo Jesu Church.

According to the source, Adegoke was allegedly ambushed by some hoodlums while returning home in the early hours of the day.

“The deceased is someone I know. Her daughter stays abroad. She went to church last Tuesday and had been there for some time because they were holding a programme that ended four days ago.

“She later stayed with one of her siblings who lives close to the church. It was while she was returning home around six in the morning that she was reportedly attacked.

“The suspects removed her clothes and underwear. They strangled her and also took her phone. Her ATM card and Bible were found at the scene,” the source said.

Another resident who identified himself only as Adeola described the incident as shocking, questioning why an elderly woman would be subjected to such brutality.

“She should be between 65 and 68 years old. Passersby found her body inside the bush and reported the matter at the police post in Ilogbo-Eremi.

“The police are aware of the incident and should be able to track the assailants through the woman’s stolen phone,” the resident said.

A community member, who also requested anonymity for fear of attack, described the area of the incident as notorious for violent crimes.

“The community is along the boundary between Lagos and Ogun states and is known for criminal activities. This is not the first time such a crime has happened here.

In fact, this would be about the fourth such incident reported in the area.

“The place is prone to violence, so people have to be careful. She was a grandmother, not a young woman. She was found naked, and it was when the police arrived that her body was covered. Her pants had been removed, which suggested she was raped,” the source added.

When contacted on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, did not respond to calls or a WhatsApp message sent to his line at the time of this report.

This is not the first time a disturbing incident has been reported in Badagry. In November 2025, the corpse of an unidentified man was discovered in front of a filling station in the Seme area of the town.

The discovery was first reported by CityMood Badagry, a local social media news platform.

The deceased was found lying face-up, wearing what appeared to be a white top with black stripes, with parts of his chest and neck visibly exposed.

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Crime

Supporter shot dead during Lagos APC primary election

Published

10 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

A yet-to-be-identified man was shot dead while several others sustained injuries during a violent clash that erupted at the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in the Ikotun area of Lagos State on Saturday.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday that the incident occurred during the party’s primary election held at a primary school in the Ile-Iwe, Egbe area of the community.

The APC on Saturday conducted primary elections for aspirants vying for seats in the House of Representatives across the country.

It was gathered that the exercise was ongoing peacefully before an argument allegedly broke out among rival supporters at the venue. This was said to have led to chaos and violence.

A resident familiar with the incident, who asked not to be identified for security reasons told our correspondent on Sunday that gunshots later rang out during the disruption.

The resident said, “The primary held in a primary school at the Ile-Iwe area of Ikotun Egbe. The exercise was ongoing when an argument suddenly broke out among some supporters.

“The situation later degenerated and people started running for safety. In the process, gunshots were heard and one person was hit. Some others were also injured during the confusion.”

Another resident, who identified himself simply as Taofeek, said the violence disrupted activities in the area as other supporters and delegates fled for fear of further attacks.

“We suddenly started hearing people shouting and running. Everybody became confused because nobody initially knew what was happening.

“After the gunshots, people started jumping fences and hiding in nearby houses. It was later that we heard that one person was killed while others sustained injuries,” Taofeek disclosed.

He further explained that the injured victim was rushed out of the venue but later died on the way to the hospital.

“The victim was rushed out after he was shot, but we learnt he later died. It created serious tension around the venue because many people were afraid,” he added.

A police source in the area told PUNCH Metro that additional security operatives were drafted to the scene of the incident before normalcy was restored.

“The moment the situation became violent, our men called for backup and the DPO and Area Commander moved to the venue to restore peace,” the police source said.

The police source, however, did not confirm if any arrest had been made.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos State, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to his telephone line were not responded to.

Party officials were yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident as of press time.

Electoral and political violence have remained recurring concerns in Nigeria, particularly during party primaries, elections and rerun polls, with clashes among rival supporters often resulting in injuries, deaths and destruction of property.

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