Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State command, has nabbed 104 suspects in possessions of hard drugs in the state.
The state Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, revealed this while presenting his first quarter operational scorecard in Benin, noted that the agency seized cannabis worth N1.8 billion.
The 104 persons comprise 71 males and 33 females.
He said the success recorded was due to high intelligence gathering and well coordinated operations of the men of the command.
According to Ofoyeju, “Our commitment to eradicating drug related crimes and promoting a drug free society is unwavering.
“I am glad to state that no fewer than one hundred and four (104) suspected drug traffickers were apprehended with eighteen thousand three hundred and eighty-one (18,380kg); kilograms of narcotics.
“Those arrested during various intelligence-led raid operations compromised 71 males and 33 females totaling 104.
“In all, 18,380kg of drugs were recovered, including 5,825kg seized and a whooping 12,556kg of cannabis destroyed in ten cannabis farms measuring 5.02260 hectares.
“The breakdown of the drugs is as follows; cannabis 18,293kg, psychotropic 6.0ikg, methamphetamine 0.1888kg, cocaine 0.023kg, heroin 0.0151kg and codeine cough syrup 81.4 litres”,
Ofoyeju disclosed that the command in the period under review, secured the convictions of 36 persons comprising 32 males and 4 females.
He said he has also intensified its anti-drug abuse education to a total of 26 programmes to highlight the dangers of drug trafficking and abuse.
The NDLEA Edo boss added that 28 drug-dependent clients were rehabilitated while 66 others received counseling and were reunited with their families.
