Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Edo State have dismantled two cannabis plantations in the Ago Forest area of Orhionmwon Local Government Area as part of ongoing anti-drug operations in the state.
The State Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, confirmed in a statement that the destroyed farms were estimated to produce about 1,388.42 kilogrammes of cannabis. He added that four suspected drug traffickers were also arrested in separate operations carried out across different parts of the state within the past week.
According to him, no arrests were made during the forest raid because the cultivators fled before the operatives arrived.
The suspects were later apprehended in different locations in Benin City and Uhumwonde Local Government Area during coordinated enforcement actions. They include three women and one man, arrested with varying quantities of cannabis and other controlled substances such as methamphetamine and tramadol.
Ofoyeju listed the suspects and substances recovered, noting that the arrests were part of sustained efforts to curb drug trafficking and abuse across Edo State.
Beyond enforcement, the agency also partnered with the Niger Delta Development Commission to organise a three-day school sensitisation programme in Benin City aimed at educating students on the dangers of drug abuse and its link to cultism and other social vices.
A total of over 1,700 students from selected secondary schools participated in the awareness campaign involving NDLEA officials, police officers, and partner organisations.
