By Isiaka Mustapha, Editor-in-Chief, People’s Security Monitor

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Delta State Command, has uncovered several underground tunnels at a suspected drug hideout in Asaba, raising concerns over the possible use of the facility for criminal activities beyond illegal drug sales.

The State Commandant of the Corps, Chinedu Igbo, disclosed that the discovery followed intelligence reports indicating that illegal drugs were being sold at an uncompleted building in the Delta State capital.According to Igbo, the information prompted the deployment of NSCDC personnel to investigate the premises.

However, gaining access to the building proved difficult because it had three entrances reinforced with iron, making entry challenging for the officers.He explained that it took the operatives three days to gain access to the building, where they made the unexpected discovery of several underground tunnels within the premises.

The commandant said the tunnels appeared to provide escape routes, raising suspicions about the possible activities conducted inside the building and the reasons for the unusual structure.Igbo expressed concern that the facility might have served purposes beyond the alleged sale of illicit drugs.

He said the discovery raised the possibility that the building could have been used to hold kidnapped victims or facilitate other serious criminal activities, including suspected organ harvesting.However, the allegations concerning kidnapping and organ harvesting have not been independently established, and further investigation would be required to determine the actual purpose of the underground tunnels and the activities carried out at the location.

The NSCDC discovery highlights the importance of intelligence gathering and coordinated security operations in identifying suspected criminal hideouts. Further investigations are expected to establish the ownership of the property, the individuals behind its alleged use and whether the facility was connected to any organised criminal network.