75 Drug Traffickers Arrested in Edo State

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Edo State has arrested 75 suspected drug traffickers connected to 16,818.17 kg of illegal drugs in October 2026.

Commander of Narcotics, Mitchell Ofoyeju, shared this information in a statement on Monday. He said the visit of their chairman, Mohammed Buba Marwa, has helped boost their fight against drug traffickers.

Ofoyeju explained that the command seized a total of 2,496.11791 kilograms of illegal substances. They also identified and destroyed eight cannabis farms covering 5.728819 hectares, which could yield about 14,322.0475 kilograms of cannabis.

"The October arrests included 54 males and 21 females. The seizures involved 2,492.6973 kilograms of Cannabis sativa, and we destroyed 14,322.04 kg of cannabis from the farms.

"We also found 3.2169 kg of psychotropic substances, 0.20371 kilograms of methamphetamine, 35 cylinders of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), six cups of brownies, and 4.1 litres of codeine syrup," Ofoyeju stated.

He added, "The chairman’s visit is a moral booster to us, and I am glad to do more." He mentioned that one of the significant seizures this month was a black Toyota Camry caught in Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, carrying 1,049 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 702.83 kg.

Three suspected traffickers were arrested: Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20. The cannabis farms that were destroyed were in Uzebba Forest and Ukhuise-Osi Community in Owan West Local Government Area. Others were in Ugbada Forest, Ugboshi Ele Forest in Akoko Edo, and Eco Camp, Illushi, in Esan South-East Local Government Area.

On the legal side, Ofoyeju reported that the command secured six convictions and filed 14 cases in court. There are 103 other cases waiting to be addressed.

He mentioned that the Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation unit helped 47 clients, including 33 males and 14 females. The clients were released to their families, while 12 others are in rehabilitation and learning skills like tailoring, embroidery, perfume making, and liquid soap making.

The command also held 10 awareness programs at six schools, places of worship, markets, and public spots in Benin City. They reached 5,293 participants made up of 2,324 males and 2,969 females.

Ofoyeju concluded by saying the command will keep working hard to make Edo State free from illegal drugs. He believes a drug-free society is very valuable.