The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than one tonne of cannabis sativa and arrested two suspected traffickers during separate operations along the Benin–Akure Road.
State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, who revealed the development on Thursday, November 27, 2025, said the seizures were made on November 13 during intensified motorised patrols aimed at disrupting drug supply routes ahead of the festive season.
According to him, operatives flagged down two Mercedes-Benz V-Boot vehicles allegedly conveying compressed cannabis from Uyere community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area to Benin City.
“The Edo State Command successfully intercepted two vehicles loaded with cannabis sativa along the Benin–Akure Road. Both vehicles, which took off from Uyere community, have been seized as instruments of narcotic crime,” he stated.
The first vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz with registration number DE 311 BEN, was found to contain 38 bags of cannabis, weighing 494 kilograms. Its driver, 45-year-old Felix Edah from Delta State, was arrested at the Ugbogiobo axis of the highway and moved to the NDLEA office in Benin City for interrogation.
In a separate encounter on the same route, officers arrested 51-year-old Lucky Abagha, who was driving another Mercedes-Benz V-Boot with Lagos registration number JJJ 56 JW. His vehicle was reportedly packed with 46 bags of cannabis, weighing 552 kilograms.
“In total, the command seized 1,046 kilograms of cannabis from both suspects. Investigations are ongoing, and the two men remain in custody,” Ofoyeju said.
He reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to intensify pressure on drug trafficking networks operating in the state.
“These arrests reflect our renewed push to dismantle trafficking syndicates, particularly as we approach the yuletide when criminal elements often step up illicit activities,” he said.
The NDLEA urged residents to report suspicious movements linked to drug trafficking, stressing that public vigilance remains crucial to the wider drug-control effort.
The commander also recalled that only last week, the agency destroyed nine cannabis farms in different parts of the state.
He added that the Edo State Government and the NDLEA are working closely to curb illegal cannabis cultivation and promote sustainable agricultural alternatives.
