The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 42 suspected drug dealers and recovered over 4.9 tonnes of illicit drugs during operations carried out across the state in June 2026.
The State Commander of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this while presenting the command’s operational scorecard for June in Benin City.
He said among those arrested were 45 year old Patrick Imoukhede, who was found with 169 kilograms of processed cannabis, and Austine Anyamone, also 45, who was arrested with 395 kilograms of skunk cannabis.
Ofoyeju said operatives also recovered a large quantity of illegal pharmaceutical drugs in Uromi after suspected traffickers fled the scene to escape arrest. The recovered items included 540 bottles of codeine cough syrup, 11,100 capsules of tramadol weighing 4.44 kilograms, 2,500 tablets of Swinol and 100 ampoules of Pentazocine injection.
According to him, the 42 suspects arrested comprise 24 males and 18 females who were apprehended through intelligence led operations across Edo State.
He added that three cannabis plantations were destroyed during the period, while a total of 4,905.36 kilograms of illicit drugs were recovered. Of the total, 4,169.02 kilograms were cannabis destroyed on the farms, while 736.34 kilograms of assorted drugs were seized during operations within the state.
The destroyed cannabis farms were located at Ikao Forest in Owan East Local Government Area and Ebora Camp in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area. Altogether, the plantations covered 1.667608 hectares with an estimated yield of 4,169.02 kilograms of cannabis.
Ofoyeju said the drugs recovered included cannabis sativa, methamphetamine and psychotropic substances such as Swinol, diazepam and Rohypnol. The command also recovered 54.2 litres of codeine syrup.
On prosecution, he said the command secured the conviction of 10 suspects, while three fresh cases were filed in court. He added that 79 drug related cases are currently pending before the Federal High Court in Benin City.
He further disclosed that 19 persons, made up of 15 males and four females, received counselling and were reunited with their families, while seven others are still undergoing rehabilitation.
The commander said the agency also organised six sensitisation programmes to educate members of the public on the dangers of drug abuse.
He described June as a busy month for the command, noting that the agency stepped up its drug control activities and organised several programmes to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
