The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 42 suspected drug traffickers in September 2026.[1] Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s commander in Edo, presented the figures in the command’s monthly operational results.[1] Twenty of those arrested were men and 22 were women, which Ofoyeju said showed growing involvement of women in drug trafficking in the state.[1] The command destroyed 10 cannabis farms covering 3.69 hectares, with an estimated yield of 9,248.2575 kg.[1] Two farms were at Monday Camp in Ovia South-West and two in Igwe-Oke Community Forest in Owan East.[2] One farm was in Okagboro Forest and three in Ukporwoya Forest, both in Owan West, and two were at Eko Camp in Illushi, Esan South-East.[2]
The command seized 271.92348 kg of illicit substances, including 245.29 kg of cannabis sativa, 25.97 kg of psychotropic substances, 0.66 kg of methamphetamine and 62.6 litres of codeine syrup.[1] The command put its September total at 9,520 kg of illicit substances once the destroyed farms were included.[2]
Gospel Mudiaga Odeh, known as Omega, narrowly escaped arrest and was declared wanted.[2] His 26-year-old salesgirl, Ojugo Mercy, was arrested with 989 grams of Loud, 13 grams of Colorado and 83 grams of methamphetamine.[2] He fled in a black Toyota Matrix, which was recovered with 65 grams of cannabis, N1.16 million and 55 Ethiopian birr inside.[2] Ofoyeju said the operations were intelligence-led and mandated by NDLEA chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa.[1]