NDLEA’s raid on Edo forests: 317 tons of cannabis warehouses burnt, 4 arrested

In a significant operation spanning two days, operatives of the NDLEA launched a lethal assault on cannabis syndicates operating in the Opuje forests of Edo State. The crackdown led to the destruction and burning of massive warehouses and tents, containing a staggering 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of the psychoactive substance.

During the operation, the NDLEA arrested a police impersonator identified as Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who was posing as a Police Inspector to transport the drugs from the forests to the cities. Additionally, three other individuals, Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were apprehended in connection with the drug operation.

The Opuje community in Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State, has gained notoriety for cannabis cultivation, with cartels investing substantial resources and encroaching on forest reserves to cultivate the illicit substance on a massive scale, spreading over hundreds of hectares. Following the harvest, they establish warehouses inside the forest reserves, employing armed youths to guard the facilities round the clock.

The NDLEA’s operation was not without challenges, as hundreds of operatives faced an ambush of bonfires set by armed youths when leaving the community on January 18th. Nevertheless, the NDLEA successfully withdrew from the area without any casualties, causing heavy financial losses to the drug cartels.

In a separate development, the NDLEA, acting on intelligence received from the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States, busted a criminal syndicate engaged in trafficking counterfeit USD currency in Lagos on January 19th. Collaborating with their EFCC colleagues, NDLEA operatives recovered a total of $269,000 counterfeit US dollars from the syndicate at the Oniru Shoprite area of Lekki, Lagos. As a result, three suspects were arrested in connection with this operation.

General Marwa, the head of NDLEA, commended the officers involved in both operations for their professionalism and dedication. He has ordered the immediate transfer of the counterfeit dollars and the arrested suspects from the Lekki operation to the EFCC for potential prosecution.