By Seyi Odewale
In Edo State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has mounted an unyielding offensive against drug trafficking, cannabis cultivation, and substance abuse, combining aggressive enforcement with community-driven prevention programmes.
In just two months, the agency’s operations have swept through forest plantations, city flashpoints, and interstate trafficking routes, leaving in their wake mass arrests, monumental drug seizures, and a string of courtroom convictions that have sent a clear message: in the battle against narcotics, there will be no haven for offenders.
From the bustling streets of Benin City to the deep, thick forests of Owan West, the NDLEA’s Edo State Command has dismantled drug networks with a precision that underscores the scale and complexity of the problem.
In June 2025 alone, 37 suspects, 25 men and 12 women, were arrested, and 345.421 kilograms of assorted narcotics were seized.
The haul included cannabis, methamphetamine, psychotropic substances, codeine syrup, and even traces of cocaine.
More dramatically, the command destroyed 7.27 hectares of illicit cannabis farms in Okhuse and Ugbada Uzebba forests, with an estimated yield of over 18 tonnes.
“This is part of a broader strategy to dismantle drug trafficking networks and tackle substance abuse in our communities,” Commander of Narcotics, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said while presenting the June scorecard.
That strategy also includes a steady flow of cases to the courts, with 11 charged in June and five convictions secured, while 107 cases remain pending at the Federal High Court in Benin.
The agency’s July operations raised the stakes. Forty-six arrests were made, and nearly 40,000 kilograms of cannabis and other substances were taken out of circulation. Seven cannabis farms, spanning 15.85 hectares in Uhunmwonde and Owan West local government areas, were razed.
Among those caught was a long-wanted drug baron, Alaba Monday, nabbed inside a cannabis farm where 115 kilograms of processed cannabis were seized.
Other suspects included traffickers who concealed drugs in garri sacks, black polythene, and even within intercity commercial cargo.
The list of seizures in July was extensive, skunk hidden in garri, tramadol capsules, swinol, molly, and codeine cough syrup, often intercepted in daring highway operations.
But enforcement is not without its dangers. On July 8, NDLEA operatives came under heavy gunfire from armed cannabis cultivators in the Ewere Uzebba forest after destroying over 28,000 kilograms of skunk on plantations covering 11 hectares. The gun battle left one NDLEA operational vehicle riddled with bullets, but the attackers were repelled.
“This attack, rather than deterring us, strengthens our resolve. We will continue to take the fight to the enemies of our state, dismantling their operations and safeguarding the well-being of our citizens,” Commander Ofoyeju vowed.
The agency’s fight extends to the courtroom, where stern sentences have been handed down in a series of high-profile convictions.
In one case, 29-year-old Owoeye Tobi was sentenced to ten years with hard labour, or an option of a ₦25 million fine, for unlawful possession of cannabis, heroin, cocaine, tramadol, and methamphetamine.
Perhaps more striking was the July sentencing of a physically challenged woman, 43-year-old Rita Idehen, to 15 years in prison (or a ₦3 million fine) for cannabis possession and dealing.
She was one of seven convicted traffickers who collectively received 93 years in prison for offences ranging from cultivation to transportation of narcotics.
“The certainty of stern punishment is one of the greatest deterrents of crime,” Ofoyeju remarked. “Physical challenge is not an alibi for criminal activity. You cannot hide under any guise to commit offences of this nature.”
While enforcement headlines grab public attention, the NDLEA Edo Command is equally invested in prevention. Its Drug Demand Reduction Unit has reached thousands through sensitisation workshops, mosque and church campaigns, and targeted interventions in schools.
In June, the unit counselled 32 clients, 18 men and 14 women, with drug use problems, while July saw 32 brief interventions and 11 full rehabilitations at the command’s facility.
The Commander’s belief in prevention through empowerment came into sharp focus when he addressed a youth summit organised by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) at the University of Benin. There, he argued that entrepreneurship and employability skills are powerful tools in fighting cultism, cybercrime, and drug abuse.
“Many young individuals fall into these traps due to peer pressure, poor parenting, wrong associations, and ignorance. Entrepreneurship can empower our youth and reduce harmful behaviours. We must create an environment where our youth see entrepreneurship as a viable path to success,” Ofoyeju told students, who later honoured him with the NANS Icon of Hope Award.
He cited government programmes like Edo Youth Impact Forum and Project SHINE, alongside NGO initiatives, as key resources for aspiring entrepreneurs.
His challenge to students was simple but pointed: channel your creativity into ventures that build communities, not into activities that destroy them.
The suspects’ stories offer a snapshot of the drug trade’s diversity and reach. They range from small-scale street dealers peddling “loud” (a potent cannabis variant) in Benin’s GRA to mid-level traffickers moving multiple bags across state lines.
Some, like Josiah Friday, hid 36 kilograms of cannabis in polythene bags along the Igara-Auchi Road. Others, like 26-year-old Izunna Nwankwo from Ebonyi State, specialised in psychotropic drugs, caught with thousands of tramadol capsules, molly tablets, and bottles of codeine syrup.
There are also the cultivators, like Etimesy Stephen from Delta State, convicted for growing nearly 0.6 hectares of cannabis, and the transporters, like Friday Robert from Owan West, caught with 22 kilograms of cannabis on a motorcycle, both now serving 15-year terms.
One thread running through the NDLEA Edo Command’s recent campaigns is the consistent call for public collaboration. The agency has repeatedly urged residents to report suspicious drug activities, stressing that dismantling drug cartels requires not just operational raids but community vigilance.
The public’s role, Ofoyeju insists, is not passive: “We call upon all residents of Edo State to remain vigilant and continue to support our efforts. This is a collective fight.”
The NDLEA Edo State Command’s operational momentum is undeniable. In just two months, the combined seizures have exceeded 40 tonnes of drugs, over 100 arrests, and the destruction of more than 23 hectares of cannabis plantations.
Convictions have been swift, and fines hefty, reflecting a justice system increasingly aligned with the NDLEA’s deterrent objectives.
Yet the scale of the problem remains daunting. Drug cartels adapt, routes shift, and cultivation pushes deeper into remote forests.
The NDLEA’s mix of enforcement, judicial pressure, community outreach, and youth empowerment suggests a long-term strategy, but one that will require sustained resources, public trust, and continued political backing.
As Edo’s narcotics war enters its next phase, the message from Commander Ofoyeju and his team is unequivocal: neither armed resistance, physical disability, nor the lure of illicit profits will shield offenders from the consequences of drug trafficking.
And for the state’s youth, the path to survival and success lies not in the haze of cannabis fields or the quick cash of street sales, but in the discipline and promise of legitimate enterprise.
