ABUJA, Nigeria — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) issued a stern warning Tuesday to nightclub owners and revelers, declaring that the increasingly common “drug party” culture is a “blatant illegality” that will be prosecuted as a serious narcotic offense.
The warning follows a major raid on Proxy Night Club at 7 Akin Adesola street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where NDLEA operatives arrested more than 100 attendees and seized a massive haul of drugs.
The raid occurred on the night of Saturday, Oct. 25, into the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 26. Among those detained were the club owner, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike, and his manager, Joachin Millary.
“Any gathering organized for the purpose of consuming, distributing, or abusing illicit substances is an act of criminality,” the NDLEA said in a statement released by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy. “These ‘drug parties’ contravene the explicit provisions of the NDLEA Act and will be treated as serious narcotic offences.”
The agency highlighted the brazen nature of the specific case, noting that organizers had the “audacity to produce and circulate flyers inviting fun seekers to come together to commit crime.”
During the operation, the NDLEA seized 384.882 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, along with other illicit substances from the club’s store.
The agency detailed its meticulous process leading up to the raid, stating that undercover agents conducted surveillance, made pre-purchases of drugs from within the club, and “observed and recorded drug transactions and abuse going on” for four hours before making arrests.
While all attendees initially detained were “profiled, addressed, counselled and released within hours in custody,” Pretty Mike and his manager remain in custody following the drug seizure.
The NDLEA stressed that these illegal gatherings exacerbate Nigeria’s high drug abuse prevalence rate and “serve as hubs for new recruitment into drug addiction.”
Moving forward, the agency warned that it will “apply the full force of the law against perpetrators.” Furthermore, property owners, hotels, and event centers found “knowingly hosting such illegal activities risk the confiscation and forfeiture of their assets to the Federal Government.”
“Those held in custody in the ongoing case will face prosecution while we will file for forfeiture of the property, Proxy Night Club, in which the drugs were found,” the statement concluded.
The NDLEA urged citizens, parents, and community leaders to partner with the agency, remain vigilant, and report such activities to help combat the national drug scourge.
