A claim that a hidden airport was built in the middle of the Argungu forest in Kebbi State has been circulating online.
The claim originated from an animated video shared by a TikTok user, @donclo14, which alleged that in 2019, investigators uncovered a secret two-kilometre airstrip in Kebbi State.
According to the video, the facility was allegedly built by a Customs officer, Ibrahim Musa, who used it to smuggle cocaine from Colombia into Nigeria, reportedly moving drugs worth over ₦50 billion before being caught in a military raid.
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The transcribed audio of the video reads:
Did you know that a government official built his own private airport just to smuggle cocaine into Nigeria? In 2019, farmers in Kebbi state stumbled upon something impossible in the Argungu forest: a fully operational runway two kilometers long, hidden deep in the wilderness, complete with fuel storage tanks, cargo equipment, and pilot quarters. Assistant Comptroller Ibrahim Musa had spent four years secretly building this airstrip. He used his position in the Nigeria Customs Service to import construction equipment duty-free under fake agricultural permits. Columbian pilots flew direct routes from Bogota, carrying 500 kg of cocaine per flight. Musa provided official clearance documents, allowing drugs to enter Nigeria completely undetected. When satellite imagery revealed suspicious aircraft activity, investigators grew suspicious. The Nigerian Air Force launched a coordinated raid just as a cocaine shipment was being unloaded. captured 12 aircraft, 2 tons of cocaine, and detailed flight logs. The evidence showed Musa had smuggled 50 billion naira worth of drugs over four years. His private airport processed more drug traffic than some official international airports.
The video was uploaded on Monday, October 20, but had gained traction and circulated on other social media apps on Thursday, October 29.
Since its inception, the claim has garnered over 2,000 likes, 93 comments, and 443 saves.
CLAIM
Private airstrip in Argungu, Kebbi State linked to cocaine smuggling operation by government official.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
From the video, the narrator claimed that the Nigerian Air Force launched a raid in Kebbi State, seizing several consignments of cocaine from a secret airstrip. The incident, however, was not reported by any credible news outlet.
The Kebbi State Government has dismissed the video, describing it as a malicious attempt to mislead the public.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, 29 October by a media aide to the governor, Yahaya Sarki, said the video was entirely fabricated and aimed at discrediting the state.
“The entire content of the video is false, fabricated, and aimed at discrediting and tarnishing the good image of Kebbi State and its government,” the statement read.
Sarki emphasised that there has never been any incident of drug trafficking or illegal airport operation in Argungu Local Government Area or any other part of the state.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the only existing airport in Kebbi State is the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi. Argungu does not have, and has never had, any airport, airstrip, or related facility,” he clarified.
He further explained that all names and characters mentioned in the viral video were fictitious and that no security agency, including the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) or the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has any record or ongoing investigation related to such claims.
The NDLEA also debunked the claim, describing the purported two-kilometre “Argungu forest airport” as AI-generated content.
Addressing journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday, the NDLEA Commander in Kebbi State, Rabiu Sokoto, said investigations showed that neither the alleged forest nor the supposed airstrip existed
“We directed our men to investigate the so-called airport and forest in Argungu, but we discovered there was nothing like that,” Sokoto stated.
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Further verification using Google Earth revealed no forest or airstrip in Argungu. Searches only showed the city area, with no indication of any airport infrastructure.
THE VERDICT
FALSE. There is no publicly available evidence to support the claim that a private airstrip in Argungu in Kebbi State is linked to a cocaine smuggling operation. The claim has been debunked by the state government, NDLEA, and a satellite view did not show any airstrip in Argungu.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
