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UNODC Raises Alarm Over Growing Global Illicit Drug Supply
UNODC Raises Alarm Over Growing Global Illicit Drug Supply
By: Michael Mike
Growing illicit drug supply and increasingly agile trafficking networks are compounding intersecting global crises and challenging health services and law enforcement responses, according to the World Drug Report 2023 launched by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday.
New data put the global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated. Globally, over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade. The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders, meanwhile, has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45 per cent increase over 10 years.
The Report features a special chapter on drug trafficking and crimes that affect the environment in the Amazon Basin, as well as sections on clinical trials involving psychedelics and medical use of cannabis; drug use in humanitarian settings; innovations in drug treatment and other services; and drugs and conflict.
The World Drug Report 2023 also highlighted how social and economic inequalities drive – and are driven by – drug challenges; the environmental devastation and human rights abuses caused by illicit drug economies; and the rising dominance of synthetic drugs.
The report showed that demand for treating drug-related disorders remains largely unmet with only one in five people suffering from drug-related disorders were in treatment for drug use in 2021, with widening disparities in access to treatment across regions.
Youth populations are the most vulnerable to using drugs and are also more severely affected by substance use disorder in several regions. In Africa, 70 per cent of people in treatment are under the age of 35.
The report argued that public health, prevention, and access to treatment services must be prioritized worldwide, or drug challenges will leave more people behind. It further underscored the need for law enforcement responses to keep pace with agile criminal business models and the proliferation of cheap synthetic drugs that are easy to bring to market.
Reacting to the findings of the report, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said: “We are witnessing a continued rise in the number of people suffering from drug use disorders worldwide, while treatment is failing to reach all of those who need it. Meanwhile, we need to step up responses against drug trafficking rings that are exploiting conflicts and global crises to expand illicit drug cultivation and production, especially of synthetic drugs, fueling illicit markets and causing greater harm to people and communities.”
According to the report, the right to health is not granted to many people who use drugs; large inequalities in access and availability of controlled drugs for medical use persist, particularly for pain management; the disparity is particularly prevalent between the global North and South and across urban and rural areas, making some people feel the negative impact of drugs more than others.
Some 86 per cent of the world’s population live in countries with too little access to pharmaceutical opioids (as controlled under the 1961 Single Convention) – mainly low and middle-income countries; some impoverished and vulnerable populations, such as those in the tri-border area between Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, are trapped in rural areas with a high prevalence of drug-related crimes, with their remote locations make it exceedingly difficult for them to benefit from treatment services, resources, or the rule of law.
The report explained that the drug economy in the Amazon Basin is exacerbating additional criminal activities – such as illegal logging, illegal mining, illegal land occupation, wildlife trafficking and more – damaging the environment of the world’s largest rainforest. Indigenous peoples and other minorities are suffering the consequences of this crime convergence, including displacement, mercury poisoning, and exposure to violence, among others; environmental defenders are sometimes specifically targeted by traffickers and armed groups.
It stated that while the war in Ukraine has displaced traditional cocaine and heroin routes, there are signs that the conflict could trigger an expansion of the manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs, given the existing know-how and the large markets for synthetic drugs developing in the region: in the Sahel, the illicit drug trade finances non-state armed and insurgency groups, while in Haiti, drug traffickers take advantage of porous borders to bolster their businesses, fueling the country’s multiplying crises.
The report said while new research on the use of controlled drugs such as psychedelics to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders shows promise, it however cautioned that the fast pace of developments could jeopardize efforts to enact policies that place public health concerns over commercial interests; without well-designed, adequately researched frameworks in place, there may be too little access for those who need treatment – potentially causing patients to turn to illegal markets – or conversely, the psychedelics may be diverted for non-medical use.
The report said the cheap, easy, and fast production of synthetic drugs has radically transformed many illicit drug markets; criminals producing methamphetamine – the world’s dominant illegally manufactured synthetic drug – are attempting to evade law enforcement and regulatory responses through new synthesis routes, bases of operation, and non-controlled precursors.
It raised the alarm that fentanyl has drastically altered the opioid market in North America with dire consequences, noting that in 2021, the majority of the approximately 90,000 opioid related overdose deaths in North America involved illegally manufactured fentanyls.
It was however said drug ban in Afghanistan may have reversed upward opium production trend; the 2023 opium harvest in Afghanistan may see a drastic drop following the national drug ban, as early reports suggest reductions in poppy cultivation, stressing that the benefits of a possible significant reduction in illicit opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2023 would be global, but it will be at the expense of many farmers in the country who do not have alternative means of income generation.
It added that Afghanistan is also a major producer of methamphetamines in the region, and the drop in opiate cultivation could drive a shift towards synthetic drug manufacture, where different actors will benefit.
UNODC Raises Alarm Over Growing Global Illicit Drug Supply
Troops Kill Two Terrorists, Rescue 62 Abducted Persons in North-West Operations
By: Michael Mike
Troops of the Joint Task Force North West under Operation FANSAN YAMMA have recorded significant operational gains with the killing of two suspected terrorists in Kebbi State and the rescue of 62 abducted persons in Zamfara State.
The coordinated operations, carried out by troops operating under Sector 2, were based on credible intelligence and involved close collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilante groups.
In Kebbi State, the troops ambushed suspected members of the Lakurawa terrorist group around Kerani village, near the boundary between Augie Local Government Area of Kebbi State and Binji Local Government Area of Sokoto State. During the operation, two of the suspects were neutralised, while two motorcycles believed to have been used for criminal operations were recovered. The suspects were reportedly dressed in camouflage outfits, and the motorcycles were modified for long-distance movement.
In a separate operation in Zamfara State, the troops raided Munhaye Forest, a known criminal hideout, following intelligence that several kidnapped victims were being held in the area. The operation led to the successful rescue of 62 abducted persons, who have since been moved to a secure location.
Military authorities said arrangements are ongoing to reunite the rescued victims with their families, while efforts continue to track and dismantle remaining criminal elements operating in the forests and border communities.
The military noted that the latest successes reflect the sustained commitment of Operation FANSAN YAMMA to restoring peace and improving security across the North-West region.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division Nigerian Army, Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Troops Kill Two Terrorists, Rescue 62 Abducted Persons in North-West Operations
NHRC Condemns Killing of Woman, Six Children in Kano
By: Michael Mike
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned the brutal killing of Mrs. Fatima Abubakar and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi Quarters, Kano State, describing the incident as a gross violation of the right to life and an attack on human dignity.
The tragic incident, which occurred on Saturday, January 17, 2026, reportedly involved unknown attackers who broke into the family’s residence, killed the victims with dangerous weapons, and allegedly threw an infant into a well.
Reacting to the incident, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, said the act was not only criminal but also a serious breach of constitutional and international human rights obligations binding on Nigeria. He noted that the right to life is sacrosanct and must be protected at all times, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women and children.
Dr. Ojukwu expressed deep concern over the level of violence displayed in the attack, stressing that such acts threaten public safety and undermine the rule of law. He called on the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to carry out a comprehensive and transparent investigation to ensure that those responsible are identified and prosecuted.
The NHRC extended its condolences to the victims’ family, the Dorayi Chiranchi community, and the people of Kano State, assuring them of the Commission’s solidarity during the period of mourning.
The Commission also reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights across the country, stating its readiness to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability and justice in the case.
Dr. Ojukwu further urged collective action by government institutions, security agencies, community leaders, and civil society groups to uphold the sanctity of human life and prevent a recurrence of such tragic incidents.
He emphasized that justice for the victims is essential to restoring public confidence and fostering a society built on peace, justice, and respect for human dignity.
NHRC Condemns Killing of Woman, Six Children in Kano
SOJA Condemns Killing of Woman, Six Children in Kano, Calls for Justice
By: Michael Mike
A human rights advocacy group, Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd/Gte (SOJA), has condemned the gruesome killing of Mrs. Fatima Abubakar and her six children in Dorayi Chiranchi area of Kano State, describing the incident as a grave violation of fundamental human rights and a failure of state protection.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its legal officer, Hameed Ajibola Jimoh., the organisation said the killing of a mother and her children had shocked the nation and undermined the values of humanity, justice and the rule of law.
SOJA noted that the incident amounted to a serious breach of the right to life as guaranteed under Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), as well as provisions of international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory. The group stressed that the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights impose clear obligations on the Nigerian State to protect life and ensure accountability for violations.
The organisation further described the killing of six children as a gross violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which mandates governments to take all necessary measures to protect children from violence and unlawful death.
SOJA expressed concern that recurring cases of extreme violence, particularly against women and children, point to systemic weaknesses such as poor early-warning mechanisms, inadequate community-level protection, and insufficient intelligence gathering. According to the group, the responsibility of the state goes beyond prosecuting offenders to preventing foreseeable harm.
The advocacy group called on the Kano State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident and ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice without delay.
It also urged authorities to provide psychosocial support, protection and relief assistance to surviving family members and the affected community, noting that justice must include healing and institutional reforms, not just arrests.
SOJA further recommended stronger community-based protection and early-warning systems, improved coordination between security agencies and local communities, sustained public education on violence prevention and child protection, and strict enforcement of existing laws protecting women and children.
The group stressed that the victims must not be reduced to mere statistics, adding that their deaths should serve as a catalyst for accountability and renewed commitment to the sanctity of human life.
SOJA said it stands in solidarity with the victims’ family and the people of Kano State, reaffirming its commitment to speaking out until justice is served.
SOJA Condemns Killing of Woman, Six Children in Kano, Calls for Justice
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