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Operatives of the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 44-year-old father of six children for alleged drugs trafficking weighing 457 kg in a warehouse.
The State Commander of the Anti-Narcotic Agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this to newsmen on Monday in Benin City.
Ofoyeju said the suspect identified as Ohiomah Igbafe was arrested on December 9, 2025 during a raid in his warehouse at Uroe community in Owan East Local Government Area of the State.
He alleged that the suspect was found in possession of a massive haul of illicit substances, including 15 bags alongside an additional sack containing 4 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.
He said the suspect was apprehended in an intelligence-led raid operation where skunk cannabis weighing 457 kg was recovered inside an illicit warehouse.
According to him, details from the raid indicated that 12 large bags weighed 427 kilograms, while 3 sacks accounted for 30 kilograms of cannabis sativa, totalling 457 kilograms were recovered from the warehouse
“The seizure was uncovered at the suspect’s hideout in the Uroe community, prompting the immediate launch of further investigations”, he said.
He said the suspect who confessed to the crime attributed his involvement in the illicit business to financial difficulties.
“My involvement in drug trafficking is due to economic reasons. My father is late, and my mother has an eye challenge. My only brother is paralysed, and I am the breadwinner of the family.
“I was introduced to cannabis cultivation two years ago. I do not know how my wife and six children will survive without me. Please, I need help”, he pleaded.
Ofoyeju opined that the arrest marks a significant victory in the ongoing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks in the state.
He also added that the operation reflected the agency’s undying commitment to the eradication of drug trafficking within Edo State.
He noted that the seized drugs and the suspect have been taken into custody as investigations are ongoing.
While noting that the quantity of illegal drugs seized in the raid represented a serious threat to public health and safety, he posited that the level of success encourages operatives to continue to confront drug cartels relentlessly.
The State Commander of the Anti-Narcotic Agency, however, read the riot act to would-be traffickers, adding that no individual or group can evade the vigilant eyes of law enforcement.
“We want to send a clear message that drug traffickers and their collaborators have no safe harbour in Edo State. The NDLEA will continue to track, arrest, and prosecute offenders in line with the NDLEA Act.
“The NDLEA remains dedicated to safeguarding the state from the dangers posed by illicit drugs and calls on citizens to maintain vigilance and report suspicious activities.
“This latest arrest and seizure underscores the critical role of intelligence gathering and proactive law enforcement in combating the menace of drug trafficking that threatens the fabric of our society”, he added.
NDLEA arrests father of six with 457 kg of suspected illicit drugs in Edo
