Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State said its October 2026 operations arrested 75 suspected drug traffickers, 54 men and 21 women.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] State commander Mitchell Ofoyeju said the command seized 2,496.11791 kg of illicit substances during the month, including 2,492.6973 kg of cannabis.[1][3][4][5][6][11][8][9]
He said eight cannabis farms covering 5.728819 hectares, with an estimated yield of 14,322.0475 kg, were identified and destroyed across the state.[1][2][3][4][5][6][11][7][8][9][10] The destroyed farms were in Uzebba Forest, Ukhuise-Osi Community and Ugbada Forest in Owan West, Ugboshi Ele Forest in Akoko Edo, and Eco Camp, Illushi, in Esan South-East.[1][2][3][5][6][9]
Among the seizures was a black Toyota Camry stopped at Otuo, Owan East, carrying 1,049 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 702.83 kg.[1][2][3][4][5][8][9][10] Three people were arrested with that load: Monday Orji, 52, Monday Lawal, 40, and Precious Uduegele, 20, two men and a woman.[1]
Ofoyeju said the command won six convictions and filed 14 cases in court, with 103 cases still pending.[1][2][3][4][5][6][9] The figures were presented when NDLEA chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa visited the command and told officers to intensify intelligence-led operations against drug cartels in the state.[1]
The command’s Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation Unit counselled 47 clients, 33 men and 14 women, and returned them to their families, while 12 others were undergoing rehabilitation and vocational training.[3][6][12] The vocational programmes included tailoring, embroidery, perfume making and liquid soap production.[10]
Six cups of cannabis brownies were among the other substances recovered in the October operations.[5][9] The figures were released after NDLEA chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa charged the command during his official visit to intensify intelligence-led operations in the state.[5]
Six cups of cannabis brownies were among the other substances the Edo command recovered during the October operations.[11][7] The command also ran 10 sensitisation programmes in schools, worship centres, markets and public places in Benin City that reached 5,293 people, 2,324 men and 2,969 women.[11][12]
The statistics were released in a statement on Monday by the Commander of Narcotics, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who described the visit of the agency’s Chairman, Mohammed Buba Marwa, as a catalyst for the command’s fight against drug traffickers.[12]
The figures were given in a statement in Benin on the Monday by the command’s State Commander, Dr Mitchell Ofoyeju.[7]
The command reported six convictions in October 2026 and said 103 cases were still pending in court.[13]
Three suspects were arrested with the Otuo load of 702.83 kg of cannabis.[9]