Nigeria’s Cannabis Crisis: Collusion, Compromise, Silent War on Our Youths

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

Introduction

Last Thursday, January 29, 2026, an informal intelligence about a canoe ferrying a consignment of Cannabis Sativa reportedly  from Ghana into Nigeria was escalated to one of the country’s leading military organizations. Sadly, the information was believed to have been treated as “dead on arrival.” And because there was no enthusiastic response upon receipt of the said intelligence, there was no expectation of preventive response, no interception, no arrests, and no accountability.

Expectedly, none came. The above incident is not isolated, it is symptomatic of a deeper malaise: official compromises that have turned drug trafficking into a financial lifeline for dealers and, disturbingly, for some of the very agencies established to combat it.

Nigeria is fighting a war it refuses to acknowledge. While official statistics from the Nigeria Navy and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) suggest modest seizures of popular drug substance such as Cannabis Sativa trafficked into the country, informal surveillance and community intelligence paint a far darker picture.

The Lagos lagoon alone is believed to be a major artery for drug trafficking, with volumes far exceeding what is reported. The discrepancy between official figures and the reality on the ground raises troubling questions about collusion, compromise, and the erosion of national integrity.

The Numbers Don’t Add Up

In October 2025, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Beecroft) intercepted a van it claimed was carrying 20 bags of cannabis weighing about 840kg in the Ijegun area of Lagos. Just three months earlier, in July, the same naval unit seized 45 bags of cannabis weighing approximately 1,575kg from two wooden boats near Takwa Bay and Ilesha Beach. In both cases, Nigerians were told that the suspects abandoned their vehicles and boats, escaping without consequence.

These seizures, while significant on paper, pale in comparison to the huge monthly aggregates believed to be reported by informal surveillance networks. Community observers insist that far larger consignments slip through undetected, and in some cases believed to have been provided official cover, feeding Nigeria’s underground drug market and fueling addiction among youths.

Patterns of Compromise

To begin with, the repeated escape of suspects raises questions about enforcement capacity and possible insider compromise. Why do traffickers consistently evade arrest? Why are seizures not matched with dismantling of networks or prosecutions?

While critics argue that the NDLEA and Navy may have become complicit through conspiracy, negligence or direct collusion, whether by turning a blind eye, underreporting figures, or failing to pursue traffickers beyond token seizures; the real situation observers says, is at best a guess work. What is certain is that the result is a system where traffickers in whatever cloak or guise, “smile to the bank,” enriching themselves while the nation bleeds.

Human Cost of Cannabis Trafficking

Behind every kilogram of cannabis trafficked into Nigeria lies a human tragedy, as will be shown here-under:

Youth Addiction: With two-thirds of trafficked cannabis believed to end up in the black market, Nigerian youths are increasingly trapped in cycles of addiction.

Violence and Criminality: Drug abuse fuels kidnappings, robbery, cultism, rape, ritual and killings, destabilizing communities and worsening insecurity.

Economic Drain: The black market creates a parallel economy, enriching traffickers while impoverishing the state morally and socially.

This is not merely a crime; it is both a sin against humanity, treason against our sovereign integrity, and a betrayal of our fatherland, indeed, of its future.

A Call to Aso Rock

For a long time already, our governments at all tiers of governance have maintained a somewhat ambivalent posture about these heinous crimes. The Presidency cannot afford to remain silent or unsure of how to deal ruthlessly with the situation. The ruling government must summon the courage and political will to confront this crisis head-on. The following key steps could aid help in this direction.

1. Auditing NDLEA and Navy operations to reconcile official statistics with independent surveillance data under an independent panel of inquiry which should include the UN.
2. Investigating collusion within security agencies and holding compromised officials accountable.
3. Strengthening maritime surveillance in drug-prone corridors like the Lagos lagoon.
4. Investing in a much more expansive rehabilitation programmes to rescue youths from addiction.
5. Compromised officials should be held accountable, no matter how high their positions.

Conclusion

Whether we like to admit to it or not, Nigeria’s cannabis crisis is more than a law enforcement issue. It has grown to become a test of national integrity. The Presidency must act decisively, not with rhetoric but with concrete measures. Anything less is complicity. Anything less is betrayal.

The silent war raging in our waters and streets is eroding the soul of the nation. To ignore it is to concede defeat to criminality and corruption. The time for action is now. Above all, NDLEA must become more assertive and should been seen to lead by example, considering the quantum of huge foreign assistance, technical, financial and otherwise, it is receiving.  If our drug war fails, it is not perhaps, because NDLEA is poorly financed or adequately supported, it’s perhaps because the anti-narcotic agency chooses to play games and by also conceding to third parties.

Overall, the required actions must be symbiotic, with the judiciary, legislature, media, religion and the traditional governance system, all playing a role.