The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has categorically denied allegations of a secret airstrip in Kebbi State being used for cocaine smuggling, labeling the viral report a politically motivated fabrication.

The rebuttal was delivered by the NDLEA’s Kebbi State Commander, Rabi’u Abdullahi Sokoto, during a joint press briefing at the state cabinet office. The press conference was convened following an investigation ordered by the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd.), into the widely circulated claims.

Commander Sokoto stated that a thorough investigation found no evidence to support the existence of a clandestine airstrip in the Argungu forest, allegedly used as a drug route between Nigeria and Bogotá, Colombia.

“We conducted a thorough investigation, and our findings indicate that the allegations are baseless and lack merit,” Sokoto stated.

He specifically addressed the viral video evidence, dismissing it as an artificial intelligence (AI) creation. “The video is clearly AI-generated, fabricated to mislead the public and serve ulterior motives,” he asserted, adding that it was “laughable” to suggest the purported airstrip could accommodate 12 aircraft at once.

Echoing the NDLEA’s position, the Kebbi State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed, described the allegations as “patently ridiculous and laughable.” He accused desperate politicians of orchestrating a smear campaign to tarnish the reputation of Governor Nasir Idris and the people of Kebbi State.

“This is another continuation of the baseless attacks against the governor and the good people of Kebbi by politicians desperate for power. Our people must ignore such malicious propaganda,” Ahmed said.

The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, vowing to keep Kebbi State free from both drug-related crimes and dangerous falsehoods designed to cause public unrest.