NDLEA arrests 42 suspects, destroys 10 cannabis farms in Edo

The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, arrested 42 suspected drug traffickers and destroyed 10 cannabis farms covering 3.69 hectares in the state in September.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, commander of the agency in Edo, disclosed this while presenting the command’s operational achievements for the month.

According to him, 20 males and 22 females were among those arrested, a development he said highlighted the growing involvement of women in illicit drug trafficking in the state.

Ofoyeju said the command seized 271.92348 kg of illicit substances during the period, comprising 245.29 kg of cannabis sativa, 25.97 kg of psychotropic substances and 0.66 kg of methamphetamine, as well as 62.6 litres of codeine syrup.

He said the operations were carried out through intelligence-led enforcement activities mandated by Mohamed Buba Marwa, chairman and chief executive officer of the NDLEA.

Ofoyeju also disclosed the arrest of Gospel Mudiaga Odeh, also known as Omega, described by the agency as a suspected notorious drug trafficker, alongside his 26-year-old sales girl, Ojugo Mercy.

He said Odeh narrowly escaped arrest and was subsequently declared wanted by the agency, leaving behind a black Toyota Matrix.

According to him, 65 grams of cannabis, N1.16 million and 55 Ethiopian birr were recovered from the vehicle and documented as exhibits.

The NDLEA commander said other substances recovered from the suspects included 989 grams of Loud, 13 grams of Colorado and 83 grams of methamphetamine.

He said the vehicle, drugs and money recovered in connection with the case had been confiscated as exhibits.

On cannabis cultivation, Ofoyeju said the command destroyed 10 farms spanning 3.69 hectares, with an estimated yield of 9,248.2575 kg.

He said two farms located at Monday Camp, Ovia South-West, covered 0.817148 and 0.111596 hectares, with estimated yields of 2,042.87 kg and 278.99 kg, respectively.

Two other farms in Igwe-Oke Community Forest, Owan East, covered 0.623703 and 0.380575 hectares, with estimated yields of 1,559.2575 kg and 951.4375 kg, respectively.

He said another farm located in Okagboro Forest, Owan West, covered 0.336646 hectares, with an estimated yield of 841.615 kg.

Three farms in Ukporwoya Forest, Owan West, covering 0.123755, 0.594138 and 0.167650 hectares had estimated yields of 309.3875 kg, 1,485.345 kg and 419.125 kg, respectively.

Ofoyeju added that two farms at Eko Camp, Illushi, in Esan South-East Local Government Area, covered 0.068011 and 0.476081 hectares, with estimated yields of 170.0275 kg and 1,190.2025 kg, respectively.

He said the monthly operations demonstrated the command’s continued focus on drug supply reduction, rehabilitation and substance abuse prevention through intelligence-led enforcement.