The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Tuesday said it seized illicit drugs worth N1.8bn in the first three months of the year.
The commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who disclosed this while presenting the command's first-quarter operational scorecard in Benin City, said 18,380 kilogrammes of drugs were recovered from 104 suspected drug traffickers.
According to Ofoyeju, those arrested during various intelligence-led raid operations comprised 71 males and 33 females.
He explained that the 18,380kg of drugs recovered included 5,825kg seized and 12,556kg of cannabis destroyed on 10 farms covering 5.02260 hectares.
The breakdown of the drugs is as follows: cannabis, 18,293kg; psychotropic substances, 6.01kg; methamphetamine, 0.1888kg; cocaine, 0.023kg; heroin, 0.0151kg; and codeine cough syrup, 81.4 litres.
He said, "The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended 104 suspected drug traffickers with 18,380 kilogrammes of narcotics estimated at N1.8bn."
He also disclosed that the agency secured 36 convictions at the Federal High Court in Benin City, comprising 32 males and four females.
Ofoyeju noted that the command intensified anti-drug abuse education with 26 programmes to highlight the dangers of drug trafficking and abuse. He added that 28 drug-dependent clients were rehabilitated, while 66 others received counselling and were reunited with their families.
He said that, in line with the award culture of the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), 10 officers, four journalists, and one legal aid lawyer were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the fight against narcotics.
According to him, the awards were instituted to motivate officers and strengthen partnerships critical to the agency's success.
The awardees include DCN Timothy Nku, Best Area Commander; DCN Hope Aigbogun, Best WADA Facilitator; and ACN Ella Ordiah, Best Prosecutor. CSN Habibu Dauda was named Most Productive Officer, while ASNI Omakor Isioma Uyoyomaro was awarded Most Resourceful Officer, and ASNI Omotosho Abass received the Best Investigating Officer award.
Other officers honoured were ASNII Abdulazeez Oboh Azeko, recognised as Most Dedicated Officer; ASNII James Magani, Most Diligent Officer; CNA Emuakpor Obada, Most Disciplined Officer; and NASSI Paul Umoh, named Best-Dressed Officer.
The command also presented awards to its Best Media Partners for 2025. The recipients are Adeyinka Adedipe of The Punch Newspapers; Bello Usman of Daily Trust; Nafeesa Bello of Edo Broadcasting Service; and Usman Aliyu of the News Agency of Nigeria.
Similarly, a legal aid lawyer, Mrs Agbako Afamefune of Breakthrough Legal Consults, was recognised for her contribution to legal jurisprudence in drug cases by assisting accused persons who could not afford legal representation.
The event also featured the official release of the maiden edition of the NDLEA Edo State Command's magazine, designed to document the command's activities, share success stories, and educate the public on the dangers of illicit drug use.
"Today, we celebrate dedication, resourcefulness, and fruitful collaboration. The award recipients represent the best of our collective resolve to secure a drug-free society. The release of our magazine also marks a new chapter in our public engagement," Ofoyeju said.