The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, has intercepted 53,520.80kg of assorted illicit drugs, valued at over N777 million, within the first half of 2025.
Mitchell Ofoyeju, the NDLEA Commander in Edo, disclosed this on Monday in Benin at a media briefing to mark the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Commander of Narcotics, Ofoyeju, disclosed that operatives of the command recently arrested 28-year-old Esther Abumere, a 300-level student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, for possession of illicit drugs.
According to the commander, Abumere was using a supermarket located in the university environment as a cover to peddle narcotics.
“Her arrest sends a strong warning to drug barons that, regardless of the disguise, they will be uncovered,” Ofoyeju stated.
“We have a legal responsibility to protect every citizen through comprehensive drug supply control and prevention interventions,” he added.
Details of seized drugs
Ofoyeju revealed that the drugs found in Esther Abumere’s possession included 31 grams of Colorado, a potent synthetic variant of cannabis; 763 grams of Canadian Loud, another strong cannabis strain; and varying quantities of Tramadol capsules.
Additional substances recovered from the supermarket she operated included 146 tablets of Swinol (56g), 93 tablets of Rohypnol (30g), and 56 tablets of Molly (25g).
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed she turned to drug peddling in a bid to repay a loan she took from a microfinance bank.
The narcotics commander also disclosed that the agency destroyed 18 cannabis farms and secured 24 convictions within the reporting period.
As part of its rehabilitation efforts, the command provided brief counselling interventions to 194 clients and successfully rehabilitated 19 individuals struggling with drug use disorders, in line with its mandate.
Public support is critical in the fight against drug crime
Ofoyeju urged the public to support the agency by reporting suspicious drug-related activities, attributing the pervasive crimes like cultism and kidnapping to drug abuse.
“These enemies of the state can run but cannot hide. We will catch them, seize their drugs, trace their illicit wealth, and prosecute them,” he said.
What you should know
Nairametrics earlier reported that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has also seized a total of 1,013,000 pills of opioids in Bauchi State, as part of an intelligence-driven operation targeting drug traffickers across the country
The illicit drugs, which included tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5, were intercepted by NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence.
According to a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the agency arrested two suspects, 37-year-old Ibrahim Galadima and 28-year-old Ibrahim Muhammed, last Monday, June 16th, along the Bauchi-Darazo road.
“A total of One Million and Thirteen Thousand (1,013,000) pills of opioids, namely: tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from them,” he said.
NDLEA says the bust emphasizes its ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and curb the availability of dangerous substances in communities across the country.
