The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned nightclub operators and fun seekers against the growing trend of organising and attending drug parties, describing it as a blatant illegality under Nigerian law.

In a statement on Tuesday, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the warning followed a recent raid by operatives on a drug party held at Proxy Night Club, 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, on the night of Saturday, October 25, into the early hours of Sunday.

More than 100 attendees were arrested, along with the club’s owner and manager.

“Any gathering organised for the purpose of consuming, distributing, or abusing illicit substances constitutes a criminal act,” Babafemi said. “Such ‘drug parties’ violate the NDLEA Act and will be treated as serious narcotic offences.”

He said the organisers of the Lagos event had gone so far as to design and circulate flyers inviting people to “come together to commit crime.”

“This not only incites criminality but also insults the law enforcement capacity of the state,” he added.

Babafemi noted that Nigeria is already grappling with a high rate of drug abuse, particularly among young people, and that such parties serve as breeding grounds for new addicts, undermining national efforts to safeguard public health and security.

He said NDLEA operatives had acted on credible intelligence, conducting undercover surveillance and making pre-purchases of illicit substances from within the club before executing the raid between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

“Our operatives observed and recorded drug transactions before eventually disrupting the brazen public display of illegality,” he said. “All attendees were profiled, counselled, and released within hours, in line with global best practices.”

The NDLEA, however, detained the two principal suspects after seizing 384.882 kilograms of Canadian Loud—a potent strain of cannabis—and other drugs from the club’s store.

Babafemi said the agency would intensify surveillance and enforce the law against property owners who knowingly host such illegal activities, warning that they risk confiscation and forfeiture of their assets to the Federal Government.

“Those in custody will face prosecution, while we will also file for forfeiture of Proxy Night Club,” he said. “We urge parents, community and religious leaders, and concerned citizens to remain vigilant and report such activities to the NDLEA.”