NDLEA arrests five, impounds trucks with N724m cannabis in Edo

In a significant victory against the pervasive drug trade, the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has achieved a "monumental operational success" with the interception of two articulated trucks laden with a staggering 7,245 kilograms of high-grade cannabis, commonly known as skunk. The estimated street value of this illicit consignment is a staggering N724.5 million, highlighting the immense scale of the drug problem confronting the nation.

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The Edo State Command of the NDLEA has recorded a monumental operational success, with the interception of two articulated trucks laden with 7,245Kg of skunk cannabis and the arrest of five suspected drug traffickers.

This remarkable seizure, which occurred on Saturday and was announced on Monday, has led to the arrest of five suspected drug traffickers. The suspects, identified as Ibrahim Abu (29), Abu Abdullazeez (28), Jibril Jaminu (35), Andrew Moses (22), and Ganiyu Abu (21), are all males and indigenes of the Etsako East and Etsako West Local Government Areas of Edo State. Their apprehension marks a critical blow to the inter-state drug trafficking network that operates within and through the region.

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The estimated street value of the drugs is N724.5 million. This is the first time in the history of the command that two trucks laden with illicit drugs are being intercepted at a time, thereby disrupting the inter-state drug trafficking network.

Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, hailed the operation as a validation of the command's "commitment and operational precision." He emphasized that this interception sends a clear message to drug barons and traffickers: Edo State is not a safe haven for their criminal enterprises. The sheer volume of the seized drugs underscores the magnitude of the threat the NDLEA is tirelessly working to combat.

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A breakdown reveals the first truck, with registration number OYO LUY 172 XC, contained 260 bags weighing 3,900 kilograms. The second truck, OYO LUY 281 XC, carried 223 bags weighing 3,345 kilograms. The combined haul totalled 483 bags, with a gross weight of 7,245 kilogrammes (7,245kg).

Preliminary investigations indicate that the illicit shipment originated from Sabongida-Ora in the Owan West Local Government Area and was destined for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The potential damage this colossal haul could have inflicted upon the FCT and the entire north-central region, had it reached its destination, is indeed "better left unimagined." The trucks themselves, used as instruments of crime, will be confiscated, further disrupting the operations of these criminal syndicates. The NDLEA assures the public that a thorough investigation is ongoing to unravel the full extent of this drug trafficking operation.

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The suspects arrested in connection with the illicit consignment are as follows: Ibrahim Abu, 29 years, Abu Abdullazeez, 28 years, Jibril Jaminu, 35 years, Andrew Moses, 22 years, and Ganiyu Abu, 21 years. All the suspects are male indigenes of the Etsako East and Etsako West Local Government Areas of Edo State.