Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, has destroyed a cannabis plantation in Owan West Local Government Area and arrested three suspected drug traffickers during an intelligence-led operation.
The operation, carried out on August 18, 2026, targeted a cannabis sativa plantation in Ukaro Forest, where NDLEA operatives discovered a farm covering approximately 0.496 hectares with an estimated yield of 1,240.9 kilogrammes of cannabis.
The Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed the development in a statement, identifying the three suspects arrested during the operation as Imohimi Ugbeje, 50; Usihoro Saturday, 27; and Bala Sunday, 23.
NDLEA destroys 1,240.9kg-yield cannabis plantation
According to Ofoyeju, the specialised team from the command’s headquarters stormed the plantation in Ukaro Forest following intelligence on cannabis cultivation in the area.
The agency subsequently destroyed the plantation as part of its efforts to disrupt the cultivation and distribution of illicit drugs in Edo State.
NDLEA operatives also recovered samples of cannabis plant stems and half a bag of processed cannabis weighing 5.5 kilogrammes from the location.
The operation forms part of the agency’s broader campaign against drug cultivation and trafficking across Edo State, where officials have repeatedly identified cannabis production as a significant challenge.
Additional drug operation in Ekpoma
The NDLEA said its operations continued the following day, August 19, when operatives targeted an illicit drug warehouse in Ihumudumu, Ekpoma, in Esan West Local Government Area.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 319 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, 1,340 capsules of tramadol, 344 tablets of Rohypnol and 222 tablets of Danabol.
No arrest was made during the warehouse operation, but the agency said it was pursuing the suspected owner of the seized substances.
In a separate operation in Benin City on the same day, two additional suspects were arrested in possession of a substance identified by the NDLEA as “Canadian Loud”, a potent strain of cannabis.
The suspects, Zege Japhet, 29, and Ifeanyi Ogashe, 43, were allegedly found with a combined 290 grammes of the substance. The NDLEA said 185 grammes were recovered from Japhet and 105 grammes from Ogashe.
Edo remains a focus of NDLEA anti-drug operations
The latest operation adds to a series of cannabis-related enforcement activities carried out by the NDLEA in Edo State in recent months.
Earlier in August, the agency reported destroying two cannabis farms in the state with an estimated yield of 4,628.9 kilogrammes and arresting 10 suspected drug traffickers in separate operations.
Those operations were conducted around Ugboku and Igbanke Forest in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, as well as locations in Benin City.
The NDLEA has also repeatedly raised concerns about the broader security and social consequences associated with cannabis cultivation and drug trafficking in the state.
In August, Ofoyeju warned that the expansion of cannabis cultivation in Edo could contribute to insecurity, including kidnapping, cultism, arms proliferation and youth exploitation. He made the remarks during a stakeholders’ engagement in Edo Central.
The commander said forests previously used for agricultural activities were increasingly being converted into cannabis plantations, creating challenges for communities and law-enforcement agencies.
Why the crackdown matters
The destruction of illicit cannabis plantations is significant because it targets drug production at its source rather than focusing solely on finished products moving through communities.
For the NDLEA, eliminating cultivation sites can reduce the availability of locally produced cannabis for trafficking and consumption while also disrupting networks that depend on rural and forest locations to conceal illegal activities.
The agency’s recent operations also show that its enforcement strategy in Edo extends beyond cannabis farms to warehouses, distribution points and suspected traffickers operating within urban areas.
The NDLEA has previously linked drug trafficking and substance abuse to wider public-safety concerns in the state, although individual criminal allegations remain subject to investigation and, where applicable, judicial determination.
What happens next
The three suspects arrested at the Ukaro Forest plantation are expected to remain subject to the NDLEA’s investigative and legal processes.
The agency is also continuing efforts to identify the suspected owner of the illicit drug warehouse raided in Ekpoma, according to the command.
The latest operations underline the continuing pressure being placed on cannabis cultivation and drug trafficking networks in Edo as the NDLEA combines intelligence-led raids, destruction of plantations and seizures of illicit substances.
However, enforcement alone is unlikely to resolve the wider drug problem. The NDLEA has also emphasised community engagement, drug-prevention programmes and alternative livelihood initiatives as part of efforts to address the conditions that encourage illicit cultivation and substance abuse.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Punch Newspapers — report on the NDLEA’s August 18–19 operations in Edo. (Punch Newspapers)
- The Guardian Nigeria — report on the arrests and cannabis plantation destruction in Edo. (Guardian Nigeria)
- The Sun Nigeria — report on the NDLEA’s operations in Edo. (The Sun Nigeria)
- Premium Times — report on earlier NDLEA cannabis-farm destruction operations in Edo. (Premium Times Nigeria)
- Punch Newspapers — report on cannabis cultivation and insecurity concerns raised by the Edo NDLEA commander. (Punch Newspapers)
