The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, has destroyed two cannabis plantations and arrested two suspects with 1,467kg of illicit drugs in the state.
Addressing journalists in Benin, the State NDLEA Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the destruction of the farms and the arrests were made on September 23, 2026, during an operation against illicit drug cultivation in the state.
He said the two farms, measuring 0.544092 hectares, had an estimated yield of 1,360.23kg of cannabis and 107kg of processed cannabis, including cannabis seeds, respectively.
According to him, the farms were destroyed in Eko Camp, Illushi, in the Esan South East Local Government Area.
“During the operation, two male suspects were apprehended. They were identified as Ajeh Egwuda, 43, who is married with two children, and Nonso Ajodhe, who is married with five children.”
Ofoyeju said the suspects, who hail from the Esan South East Local Government Area of the state, attributed their involvement in cannabis cultivation to poverty and the negative influence of friends.
“Ajeh was found to be cultivating a cannabis farm measuring 0.068011 hectares, estimated to yield approximately 170.03kg of cannabis, while Nonso was found with a larger plot of 0.476081 hectares, with an estimated yield of 1,190.20kg,” he said.
He added that the two farms measured 0.544092 hectares, yielding a combined total of 1,360.23kg of Cannabis sativa.
In addition, 107kg of processed cannabis, including cannabis seeds, were recovered from the farms.
He, however, appealed to residents to provide timely information that could lead to the arrest of other members of the cannabis networks.
