Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Edo State have destroyed two cannabis plantations in the Ago Forest area of Orhionmwon Local Government Area and arrested four suspected drug traffickers in separate operations.
State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju said Monday that the destroyed farms had an estimated yield of 1,388.42 kilogrammes of cannabis.
He said no arrests were made during the forest raid because the cultivators were not present at the time of the operation.
“In a sustained offensive against drug trafficking and abuse, the Edo State Command has destroyed two cannabis plantations with a yield of 1,388.42kg and arrested four suspected drug traffickers within the past one week,” Ofoyeju said.
According to him, three women and one man were arrested in separate operations in Benin City and surrounding areas.
The suspects were identified as Eniye Osague, 25; Osaretin Erabor, 43; Vivian Chukwuma, 38; and Osigwe Omogie, 44.
Ofoyeju said Osague was arrested behind the Oredo Local Government Secretariat in Benin City on May 15 with 272 grammes of “skunk,” while Erabor was arrested at the same location with 914 grammes of cannabis.
Chukwuma was arrested in the Hausa Quarters area of Oluku with cannabis, “Loud,” “Colorado,” methamphetamine and tramadol, while Omogie was found with cannabis, “Loud” and tramadol.
The NDLEA also said it conducted a three-day school-based drug prevention and sensitization programme in Benin City in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The programme, themed “Anti-Cultism/Drug Abuse in Secondary Schools,” targeted students across Edo College, Western Boys High School and Uselu Grammar School.
A total of 1,755 students participated in the exercise, which involved officials of the NDLEA, the Nigeria Police Force and Everlink Network.
