The Traffic

Edo NDLEA Smashes Drug Rings, Nabs 46, Destroys Nearly 40,000kg of Narcotics

The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its war on illicit drugs, arresting 46 suspects and seizing almost 40,000 kilograms of narcotics in July alone.

State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, presenting the monthly operations report in Benin on Monday, said the crackdown — driven by intelligence-led raids — also led to the destruction of 15.85 hectares of cannabis farms across Uhunmwonde and Owan West local government areas.

“Our July operations reflect an unrelenting effort to dismantle drug trafficking networks in Edo. We made 46 arrests — 38 men and eight women — and dismantled multiple drug flashpoints, including the notorious Ihama Road in Benin’s GRA,” Ofoyeju said.

From Oke Forest to Ewere Forest, NDLEA teams uncovered and destroyed seven cannabis farms, pulling 39,983 kilograms of illicit substances out of circulation. The haul included 39,977.644 kg of cannabis, 5.6 kg of psychotropic substances, 0.26 g of methamphetamine, 0.0598 g of cocaine, and 5.8 litres of codeine syrup.

High-profile arrests included 49-year-old cannabis cultivator Alaba Monday of Owan West — on the agency’s wanted list since 2023 — who was caught inside a cannabis farm with 115 kg of processed cannabis.

In other busts, 40-year-old Yusuf Isuku from Etsako West was intercepted along Wareke Road, Auchi, with 10.265 kg of skunk concealed in a sack of garri, while Josiah Friday, 48, from Akoko Edo, was caught on the Igara-Auchi Road with 36 kg of cannabis hidden in black polythene bags.

Along Benin-Auchi Road, 26-year-old Izunna Nwankwo from Ebonyi State was arrested with an assortment of psychotropic drugs — including 15,400 capsules of tramadol, 200 tablets of swinol, 357 tablets of molly, and 54 bottles of codeine syrup.

Raids on Ihama Road, GRA Benin City, also netted several peddlers, including 29-year-old Emmanuel Onaji from Benue (caught with molly), 21-year-old Joshua Paul from Edo (caught with Loud), 20-year-old Prosper Titus from Benue (caught with Loud), 28-year-old Andy Obioma from Rivers, and 23-year-old Agu Emmanuel from Kaduna — both also linked to Loud distribution.

Beyond enforcement, Ofoyeju said the command has ramped up its drug demand reduction work, with 32 drug users receiving brief intervention counselling and 11 others currently in rehabilitation at the NDLEA facility. Sensitisation campaigns during the month reached more than 8,000 residents.

By Haruna Yakubu Haruna