Crime
AKUSKURA: the new deadly Psychoactive Substance in town
AKUSKURA: the new deadly Psychoactive Substance in town
By Mahmud Isa Yola
Recently, there has been a rapid emergence of a dangerous new psychoactive substance known as Akuskura/Kuskura, which is made of herbs laced with tobacco and cannabis and which is rapidly replacing controlled psychoactive substances, dominantly in the northern and south-west parts of Nigeria. When taken, the substance sometimes causes sudden, violent, irregular movement of the body and contraction of muscles.
The name Akuskura, sometimes known as kuskura or akurkura, is derived from the Hausa word “kuskura” noun, which can be used interchangeably to mean gargling and rinsing. The substance, which is of different varieties, is used in both liquid and powdered form by people who mostly seek to raise their levels of psychological or nervous activity in the body, or put it in simple terms, get high.
Akuskura came into the front-line on social and conventional media when the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, intercepted over seven thousand bottles of the illicit substance along the Abuja-Kaduna express road, slated for distribution across seven northern states of Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Gombe and Nasarawa. Although the seizure is the biggest made so far, there were several arrests and seizures made by the agency in different parts of the country.
Following the record-breaking seizure, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, in a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on August 19th, made the announcement of the official ban of the psychoactive substance. She said the agency received a number of reports of the use of a herbal preparation known as “Kurkura,” particularly in the country’s South West and Northern axis.The agency swung into action and carried out intelligence and enforcement actions.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, New Psychoactive Substances are “substances of abuse, either in a pure form or a preparation, that are not controlled by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or the 1971 Convention on Psychoactive Substances but which may pose a public health threat”. The term “new” does not necessarily refer to new inventions—several NPS were first synthesized decades ago—but to substances that have recently become available on the market.
As a new psychoactive substance, Akuskura represents a serious threat to public health and poses a challenge for drug policy. The negative health impacts and social harms of NPS are frequently largely unexplored, which makes prevention and counseling extremely difficult. It is difficult to analyze and identify the many different chemicals that are simultaneously present in the drug.
The above facts place people who take new psychoactive substances such as Akuskura at a high risk. According to the UNODC, the use of NPS is often linked to health problems. In general, side effects of NPS range from seizures to agitation, aggression, and acute psychosis, as well as potential development of dependence. NPS users have frequently been hospitalized with severe intoxications. Many NPS have no or very limited safety data on their toxicity and carcinogenic potential, and information on long-term adverse effects or risks is still largely unknown.The purity and composition of products containing NPS are often unknown, which places users at high risk, as evidenced by hospital emergency admissions and deaths associated with NPS, often including cases of poly-substance use.
Akuskura is largely distributed under the guise of herbs. They are mostly retailed by local herbalists and Islamic chemists, to mention but a few.
A kuskura wholesaler in Zaria city explained that the substance is originally meant for the treatment of headaches and catarrh and serves as a poster remedy against jinns and evil spirits. He says kuskura is also used as a sex enhancer among men. However, there is no scientific explanation for whether the substances are safe or can cure any form of sickness. This therefore drives home the fact that the substance has no established medicinal value.
Despite its unsafe nature, Akuskura is patronized by thousands of people in Nigeria.
Maikudi Shaga, a 31-year-old Zaria-based mechanic, confessed in a newspaper interview that he is addicted to the substance, adding that he uses the liquid substance at least seven times a day and said it gives him the energy to work efficiently without being subjected to physical fatigue.
Another user, Malam Adamu Mohammed, who spoke in a media interview, said that he does not see Akuskura as an illicit substance and that is the notion held by many other users. He said he has been using it for more than a year now and it cures malaria, typhoid, pile headaches and increases his performance in bed.
The spread of Akuskura is undoubtedly aided by the fact that the substance is largely and ignorantly misconstrued as a medicine. A whole-seller in Zaria was quoted to have said he sells more than 300 bottles of Akuskura in a day.
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Another factor that aids the prevalence of Kuskura is its affordable price. The substance is readily available in Islamic chemists’ and other local herbal centers at a very cheap price. With a bottle sold at the cost of N100 and sometimes a drip for N50, the Akuskura is affordable even to a low-income earner.
Thirdly, the substance gives both hallucinogenic and stimulant effects to its users. Hence, it is filling the void of controlled substances, which are now very scarce due to the surge of arrests and seizures by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). With a bottle of codeine sold between N7,000 And N25,000 and beyond, Akuskura offers substance abusers an easy alternative with just N100 or even less.
However, the adverse effect of Akuskura remains disturbing. Like all other illicit substances, Akuskura gives a euphoric effect of being “high” for a certain period of time. However, there are health-threatening short and long time effects such as dissociation, violent episodes, psychotic episodes, compulsive desire to commit crime, aggression, perceptual distortion, hallucination and many others.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) OFR, during a brief interview with the British Broadcasting Cooperation, BBC Hausa, said that the agency will continue to dismantle the clandestine factories behind the production of the illicit substance, adding that the recent seizure of over 7,000 bottles by the agency sends a warning to the peddlers of the illicit drug that the NDLEA will continue to deal with them within the ambit of the law. This should serve as a desist warning to the users and traffickers.
Mahmud Isa Yola is Special Assistant to the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA
AKUSKURA: the new deadly Psychoactive Substance in town
Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking
By: Michael Mike
A fleeing founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele (alias Abbas Ajakaiye) after months underground has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for masterminding multiple shipments of illicit drugs into Nigeria.
A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Prophet Adefolusho was arrested at his church located in Okun Ajah, Ogombo road, Lekki area of Lagos on Sunday 3rd August 2025 by NDLEA officers who waited for him since morning to conclude the Sunday worship service in the evening before moving in on him the moment he stepped out of the church premises.
He noted that the arrest came after he had evaded arrest twice and fled to Ghana to hide since June when operatives started trailing him following the seizure of two shipments of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis linked to him.
He said the first seizure of 200 kilogrammes of the psychoactive substance was made at Okun Ajah beach on 4th June 2025 while another consignment of 700 kilogrammes of Whitten substance was recovered from his delivery van on 6th July 2025.
He was said to have admitted in a written statement, ferrying the illicit consignments through the waterways from Ghana into Nigeria, adding that he had fled to the West African country to hide after he escaped arrest twice in the recent past.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Thursday raided an apartment at Kishi House 11 Layi Ajayi Bembe street, Parkview Estate Ikoyi where they arrested a suspect Benjamin Ukoh and recovered 32 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of Cannabis with a total weight of 15.63 kilogrammes.
In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives last Saturday recovered a large consignment of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 3,093 kilogrammes from the trio of Emmanuel Asoquo, 51; Okem Raphael, 33, and Chekwube Odo, 25, at New Karu area of the state.
While 29-year-old Nura Yahaya was nabbed at Geza area of Kumbotso Kano State with 639 blocks of skunk weighing 359 kilogrammes last Friday, another suspect Umar Adamu Umar, 27, was taken into custody last Wednesday by NDLEA officers after seizing 9 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis from him along Zaria-Kano road, Kano.
In another interdiction operation in Kano, 20,000 pills of tramadol and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection were recovered from a suspect Usman Musa, 30, at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano road last Friday.
A raid at an uncompleted building located at Tudun Wadan Pantami in Gombe town, Gombe state last Friday led to the recovery of 550,266 pills of opioids mainly tramadol, while a suspect Usama Isah was arrested.
The following day Saturday another suspect Ibrahim Adamu, 23, was arrested by NDLEA officers along Potiskum road, Bajoga with 50,000 capsules of tramadol.
In Edo state, a white Toyota Hiace bus marked YAB 5522 K coming from Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Isanlu in Kogi was last Wednesday intercepted at Ewu junction, Edo by NDLEA operatives who after a search recovered 23,940 capsules of tramadol, 1,100 tablets of same opioid and 400 ampoules of pentazocine injection with a suspect Taiye Jethro arrested.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking
Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work
By: Zagazola Makama
A 47-year-old Chinese national working as a supervisor at BN Ceramics in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, has died after slumping at his duty post, the police have confirmed.
Sources said that the expatriate, identified as Mr. Luo Zhi Mao, collapsed on Aug. 2 at about 6:30 p.m. while working at the Press Department of the factory.
He was immediately rushed to Covenant Hospital, Ajaokuta, and subsequently referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja. However, due to an ongoing strike by doctors and nurses at FMC, he was later moved to Shifaah Hospital in Lokoja.
At about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, Mr. Luo was confirmed dead at Shifaah Hospital.
His body has been deposited at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.
Sources said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of death, though no foul play has been suspected at this stage.
The management of BN Ceramics has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.
Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work
Crime
Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe
Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have abducted the traditional ruler of Yankuzo, Alhaji Babangida Kogo, in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, barely hours after a devastating Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike killed dozens of bandits in a forest enclave near the area.
The monarch was reportedly abducted on Tuesday evening along the Mararraba axis as he attempted to flee his community amid fears of reprisal attacks by the terrorists.
Sources confirmed to Zagazola Makama that the abduction was carried out by a large group of armed men riding on over 10 motorcycles. The assailants intercepted the monarch and his entourage near the abandoned farm of the late Alhaji Malami Yandoto and took him away, leaving others behind.
The abduction followed a precision airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji on the same day, targeting a large bandit assembly believed to be a wedding or celebratory gathering in a forest location between Yankuzo and Munhaye.
Zagazola gathered that the air raid followed credible intelligence and aerial surveillance, which tracked the movement of over 100 armed bandits converging at the location. The strike led to the killing of scores of terrorists and left many others wounded.
Security sources said the gathering was attended by fighters loyal to notorious bandit kingpins operating in the Tsafe–Zurmi axis, some of whom had crossed over from neighboring forests in Katsina and Sokoto states.
“The impact was massive, charred bodies and destroyed motorcycles littered the area after the strike,”said a source.
Following the air raid, fear gripped surrounding villages, with many residents fleeing in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by the surviving bandits.
“We knew they would strike back. That’s why our district head was leaving. Unfortunately, he ran into them before reaching safety,” said a Yankuzo resident who requested anonymity for security reasons.
Local vigilante sources confirmed that efforts were ongoing to trace the whereabouts of the abducted monarch. Military ground troops have also been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.
The abduction point to the growing desperation of bandit groups under sustained military pressure in Zamfara and the wider North West region.
Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe
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