68-year-old woman arrested for drug trafficking in Edo

Wednesday, February 25 2026 - Operatives of the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 68-year-old grandmother and six other persons for drug trafficking.

The Command also intercepted 1,956,92 kilograms of suspected cannabis.

Dr Mitchell Ofoyeju, the State Commander of the agency, gave the name of the grandmother as Evelyn Ogenewu. The suspect was arrested alongside a 43-year-old, Friday Iruoje.

Ofoyeju said 23 kilograms of processed cannabis were recovered from the suspects during the operation.

He also disclosed that at the Yoruba Camp in Olumoye Forest, Ovia North East Local Government, officers seized 563.5 kilograms of skunk cannabis.

Five male suspects, Murtala Mohammed, Abdulkadir Idris, Ufoma Edafe, Anthony Aghati, and Emmanuel Owalu, were apprehended during the raid.

He added that in another operation that took place at Otuo Forest in the Owan East Local Government Area, NDLEA agents discovered eight bags and 60 compressed blocks of skunk cannabis concealed within a cocoa plantation weighing 103.57kg.

The NDLEA commander stated that during the operations officers located three farms at Etiosa Forest in Owan West Local Government measuring 0.145307, 0.203658, and 0.157772 hectares.

He disclosed that a total of 1,956.92kg of cannabis was intercepted during the operations, noting that the exercise was guided by an intelligence report, which resulted in the destruction of 0.506737 hectares with an estimated yield of 1,266.85kg of cannabis.

While noting that operatives launched a series of successful operations, including a dry season of cannabis farm destruction, he said the operations demonstrated the ongoing commitment to eradicating illegal cannabis cultivation and trafficking across the state.

“We will continue to act on credible intelligence and take swift action against those involved in drug-related activities,” he said.

Ofoyeju urged members of the public to remain vigilant and assist the NDLEA personnel in keeping the state safe from the damaging effects of illicit drugs.

He assured that the investigation into all cases remains active, with further developments expected as authorities work diligently to bring all responsible parties to justice in line with the NDLEA Act.