Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested 26 suspected drug traffickers, with a total of 41,410.53 kilogrammes of various narcotic drugs.
Mitchell Ofoyeju, state commander of the NDLEA, who disclosed this in Benin, while presenting the August 2025 progress report of the agency in the state, noted that the command’s intensified operations led to numerous arrests, significant drug seizures, cannabis farm destruction and crucial anti-drug abuse initiatives.
“The achievements were remarkable and underscored our proactive approach towards curbing drug-related crimes in Edo State. The twenty-six persons comprise twenty-two (22) males and four (4) females.
“Total drugs seized is 41,410.53 kilogrammes, and the breakdown revealed that cannabis accounted for over ninety-nine per cent of the seized drugs with 41,387.36 kilogrammes,” Ofoyeju said.
He said, “Others are Tramadol 22.253 kilogrammes, Swinol 0.3085 kilogrammes, Danabol 0.0117 kilogrammes, Diazepam 0.5163 kilogrammes, Methamphetamine 0.0811 kilogrammes. There was also 400 ml of Pentazocine and 10 litres of Codeine cough syrup.”
He added: “In a concerted effort against cannabis cultivation, the NDLEA destroyed four (4) illegal cannabis plantations in the Ebule Forest, Owan West LGA, covering a total area of 15.852732 hectares. The destroyed farm had an estimated yield of approximately 39,631.83 kg of cannabis.
“Prominent among the arrests and seizures is the evacuation of sixty-nine bags of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis from a three-bed room bungalow at Uzebba in the Owan West local government area of the state. A 54-year-old woman, Fodo Stella Sunday, who hails from the Owan West area of the state, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
“Similarly, the command raided a notorious drug location at RCC Junction, Sapele Road, Benin City, where three suspected drug traffickers were arrested with 2.05 kg of cannabis, 46 grammes of methamphetamine, 5 grammes of Danabol, 52 grammes of Swinol, 745 grammes of tramadol and 0.4 litres of Codeine.
“The suspects are Itua Oselumen, 41 years old from Esan West LGA of Edo State; Rabiu Yusuf, 38 years old from Nasarawa LGA, Kano State; and Fahad Ahmed, 24 years old, who hails from Malumfashi LGA of Katsina State.
The state command, while noting that no convictions were recorded in August due to court vacations, disclosed that six charges were filed in the Federal High Court, Benin.
He said, “This commitment to legal proceedings highlights the agency’s dedication to ensuring justice for drug-related offences.”
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to aid in the collective fight against drug trafficking and abuse in the state.
