A routine raid by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kazaure town, Jigawa State, ended in tragedy as two young men drowned while trying to evade arrest.

The incident happened on Saturday around 3:00 p.m. when NDLEA operatives stormed a suspected drug joint in Ganguli, Kazaure.

According to eyewitnesses, the victims — Garzali Garba (22), from Tsohon Kafib Quarters, and Usama Ahmed (21), from Kanti Quarters — attempted to escape by diving into a nearby dam. Unfortunately, both men drowned in the process.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, security agencies, including the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were quickly deployed to the area to prevent any unrest. The NDLEA office in Kazaure was also reinforced as a precautionary measure.

To calm rising tensions, community leaders and stakeholders were engaged by security officials, urging residents to remain peaceful and allow investigations to take their course.

The sad incident has once again sparked conversations around the dangers of drug abuse, the risks people take to evade arrest, and the need for more community-based approaches to tackling substance abuse in Nigeria.