NDLEA investigates hard drugs found in secondary school ceiling

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched an investigation into the discovery of hard drugs hidden in the ceiling of a public secondary school building in Minna, the Niger State capital.

The incident came to light when a group of youths playing football on the school’s field accidentally struck the building, damaging part of the ceiling. While attempting to retrieve their ball, they discovered several suspicious bags concealed in the ceiling.

Eyewitnesses said the youths immediately raised the alarm, prompting the school authorities to contact officials from the Niger State Command of the NDLEA. Upon inspection, operatives entered the ceiling space and recovered five bags containing what was later confirmed to be cannabis sativa, weighing approximately 100 kilograms.

Confirming the discovery, the Commander in Charge of Narcotics, Shehu Gwadabawa, described the situation as “unusual.” He stated that the agency is currently working to identify those responsible for storing the drugs in the school.

ALSO READ: Customs intercept 13.6kg dry donkey skin worth N3.6bn in Owerri

“At the moment, no individual has been identified as the owner of the drugs. We have evacuated the items and are continuing our investigation,” Gwadabawa said.

He added that such incidents often occur in public institutions that lack adequate perimeter fencing, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation by drug traffickers.

“This is the first time we are experiencing such an incident in Niger State. Drug peddlers tend to target public places that are not properly secured,” he noted.

Gwadabawa advised school administrators and managers of public facilities to prioritize security measures to prevent their premises from being used for criminal activities.

The principal of the affected school declined to comment on the matter, stating that only the Commissioner for Education is authorized to speak on the issue.