NDLEA Destroys Five Cannabis Farms, Arrests Three Suspects in Edo

The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has destroyed five cannabis farms and arrested three suspected drug traffickers during operations conducted across the state over a two-week period. The development was disclosed by the state NDLEA Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who said the operations were part of intensified efforts to disrupt illicit drug activities in Edo State.

According to the agency, the five plantations were located in Usen Forest, Ovia South-West Local Government Area; Igwe-Oke Forest, Owan East; and Ogboha Forest, Owan West. The farms covered a combined area of about 2.27 hectares, with the NDLEA estimating their potential yield at more than 5,600 kilogrammes. The agency said one suspect, identified as 39-year-old Sunday Segun, was arrested during the operation at Ogboha Forest.

The NDLEA also reported separate arrests during operations in other parts of the state. At Bob-Izua Park in Okada, a suspect identified as Hassan Mohammed was arrested, while another suspect, Jamie Zubaru, was apprehended during a patrol operation in Auchi. The agency said investigations were ongoing into the activities allegedly connected to the suspects.

The operations also involved the seizure of various controlled substances, including large quantities of tablets and cough syrup containing controlled ingredients. The NDLEA said the recoveries formed part of its wider enforcement activities aimed at disrupting drug trafficking and related activities in the state.

Ofoyeju warned that illicit cultivation was increasingly affecting forest areas and called on local government authorities and community leaders to cooperate with the agency. He said the Edo Command would continue intelligence-led operations against illegal drug activities while working with relevant stakeholders to improve public safety. The arrested suspects remain subject to investigation and the appropriate legal process.