The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Edo State Command, has arrested 48 suspected drug traffickers and recovered 541.47 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in a series of intelligence-led operations across the state.

State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju said the suspects 36 males and 10 females were apprehended during raids on drug hotspots in Benin City and other LGAs as part of the agency’s crackdown on trafficking networks.

Among the seizures were 6,439kg of cannabis sativa and other psychotropic substances intercepted in January 2026 alone. One major bust involved 66 bags of cannabis concealed in charcoal bags weighing 792kg, recovered along the Auchi-Abuja Expressway from a suspect heading north.

The command also destroyed 45 cannabis farms spanning 77.5 hectares with an estimated yield of 193,491kg of illicit drugs, while 13,714.9kg of processed cannabis was seized during raid operations. 

Ofoyeju noted the operations yielded seven convictions at the Federal High Court in Benin within the same period. He added that 28 drug-dependent persons were rehabilitated and 66 others received counselling and were reintegrated with their families.

He reaffirmed NDLEA’s zero-tolerance directive from Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), warning that Edo is no longer a safe haven for drug barons. “Our mandate is to apprehend traffickers, seize illicit drugs and trace proceeds of crime. This operation has prevented these substances from reaching the streets and endangering lives, particularly those of young people,” Ofoyeju said.

Source: Punch Newspapers, Tribune Online