The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, has destroyed five cannabis farms and arrested three suspected drug traffickers in separate operations across the state.
The state commander of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this on Monday in Benin City while briefing journalists on the command’s recent operations.
According to him, the five cannabis farms covered a combined area of 2.27 hectares and were destroyed as part of intensified efforts to curb the cultivation and distribution of illicit drugs in Edo State.
The command also seized 50,000 capsules of tramadol during separate operations, further disrupting the activities of suspected drug trafficking networks in the state.
Ofoyeju expressed concern over the growing spread of cannabis cultivation in the state, warning that cannabis farms were gradually taking over forest areas and threatening legitimate agricultural activities.
He called on chairmen of the 18 local government areas in Edo State to strengthen collaboration with the NDLEA by providing useful intelligence and supporting efforts to identify and eliminate illicit drug cultivation sites.
The commander said sustained community cooperation was necessary to prevent forests and farmlands from becoming hideouts for drug cultivators and traffickers.
The latest operation adds to the NDLEA’s ongoing crackdown on cannabis cultivation in Edo. In August alone, the command destroyed four cannabis farms measuring 2.57 hectares, with an estimated cannabis yield of more than 6,400 kilogrammes.
The NDLEA has continued to combine enforcement operations with community sensitisation, counselling and rehabilitation programmes as part of efforts to reduce drug abuse and trafficking across the state.
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