NDLEA Seizes 1.3 Tons of Cannabis in Massive Edo Raid; 37-Year-Old Suspect Arrested as Agency Vows to Make State ‘Unsafe’ for Drug Barons

he NDLEA has “flipped the script” on drug cartels in the South-South, uncovering a massive warehouse in Edo State packed with over 1,378kg of illicit cannabis. On Monday, April 6, 2026, the Edo State Command announced the successful raid in the Igbanke community, where 125 industrial-sized bags of “skunk” were evacuated by tactical teams.

The “Solution” to the state’s drug problem, according to Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, lies in this aggressive “supply suppression” strategy. “This successful operation is a testament to our relentless pursuit of drug cartels,” Ofoyeju stated in Benin City. He noted that by intercepting such a large quantity before it could be broken down for street-level sale, the agency has effectively saved “countless young people” from the cycle of addiction.

The suspect, Roland Owie, is currently undergoing interrogation to help investigators identify the high-level financiers behind the operation. This bust comes just days after the command released its Q1 2026 scorecard, which showed that over 18,000kg of narcotics have already been intercepted in the state this year alone.

As the “Renewed Hope” agenda for a drug-free Nigeria continues, the NDLEA has warned that it is expanding its intelligence network into the state’s most remote forest communities. For the residents of Orhionmwon, the sight of the truckloads of seized weeds was a stark reminder that the “war on drugs” is far from over but for today, the drug barons of Igbanke have lost a significant portion of their criminal economy.