NDLEA Seizes Over 7 Tonnes of Cannabis, Arrests Five Suspects in Edo

NDLEA Seizes Over 7 Tonnes of Cannabis, Arrests Five Suspects in Edo

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted two trucks loaded with 7,245 kilogrammes of cannabis in Edo State, arresting five suspects in the process.

The Edo State Commander of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this while presenting the seized drugs and vehicles to journalists in Benin City. He said the operation followed about 72 hours of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

According to him, the interception took place on April 11 along the Auchi–Abuja Road, where officers stopped two articulated trucks suspected to be transporting illicit substances.

“This interception sends a clear message that Edo State is not a safe haven for drug trafficking,” Ofoyeju said, noting that the volume of the seizure showed both the scale of the trade and the impact of targeted operations.

The trucks, which were initially believed to be conveying cartons of beer, were found to be hiding large quantities of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis, after a search. Tests carried out on the substance confirmed its identity.

One of the trucks, marked OYO LUY 172 XC, was found with 260 bags weighing about 3,900 kilogrammes, while the second vehicle, OYO LUY 281 XC, carried 223 bags with a total weight of 3,345 kilogrammes. Altogether, 483 bags were recovered.

Ofoyeju described the operation as the first time the command would intercept two fully loaded trucks of illicit drugs at once, adding that it had disrupted a major supply chain moving across states.

The suspects arrested were identified as Ibrahim Abu, Abu Abdullazeez, Jibril Jaminu, Andrew Moses and Ganiyu Abu, all said to be from Etsako East and Etsako West local government areas of the state.

Preliminary findings indicated that the consignment originated from Sabongida-Ora in Owan West Local Government Area and was headed for Abuja before it was intercepted.

The NDLEA commander said the suspects had made statements to investigators, claiming they were to be paid N10,000 for each parcel delivered.

He added that the trucks and exhibits had been moved to the agency’s command headquarters for further investigation and possible forfeiture.

The operation, he said, aligns with the zero-tolerance stance of the NDLEA leadership under Mohammed Buba Marwa.

Ofoyeju noted that efforts were ongoing to track down other members of the network behind the shipment, while calling on the public to provide useful information to support the fight against drug trafficking.