Nigeria's NDLEA Seizes Over 2.5 Tonnes of Drugs in Edo, Flags Rise in Female Traffickers

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reported that 49 suspects were arrested in Edo State in July, including 29 women, marking a shift toward greater female involvement in drug‑related crimes. Officers seized 2,596.29 kg of illicit substances, with cannabis accounting for 2,588.4 kg, alongside psychotropics, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, codeine cough syrup and nitrous oxide. The operation uncovered three warehouses in Benin City and Illushi and led to the destruction of a 0.64‑hectare cannabis farm in the Egbisi Forest, estimated to have yielded about 1,602 kg of cannabis.

Separately, the NDLEA conducted promotion ceremonies in Edo and Anambra states, elevating 57 officers in Anambra and honoring newly promoted personnel in Edo. Commanders Mitchell Ofoyeju (Edo) and Onubogu Charles (Anambra) urged the promoted staff to uphold higher standards of integrity, discipline and professionalism, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to combating drug abuse nationwide. NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa highlighted the promotions as part of broader morale‑boosting and capacity‑building efforts.