Drug Baron Flees As NDLEA Seizes 498kg Cannabis In Edo Shrine

The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recovered 498 kilograms of skunk cannabis allegedly abandoned inside a shrine in the state.

Naija News reports that the State Commander of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in Benin, the Edo State capital, saying the illicit drugs were abandoned by members of a drug syndicate operating in Owan East Local Government Area.

Ofoyeju said the seizure was made during a coordinated raid on the Igwe community on May 22, 2026, following an intelligence report received by the command.

According to him, operatives of the agency recovered 59 bags of skunk cannabis weighing 489 kilogrammes, as well as nine kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 498 kilogrammes.

He said, “The operation led to the recovery of 59 bags of skunk cannabis weighing 489 kilograms, as well as 9 kilograms of cannabis seeds, totalling 498 kilograms.

“The cannabis were found abandoned by the prime suspect, a notorious drug baron known as Asrenre, who is at large.”

Ofoyeju explained that the suspect fled before the arrival of NDLEA operatives, adding that efforts were ongoing to track him and other members of the syndicate.

The commander further disclosed that some youths in the community resisted the operation, claiming that the location was sacred and should not be desecrated.

He said the youths insisted that the shrine was the home of their deities, but noted that a search of the area led to the discovery of the illicit substances.

Ofoyeju maintained that no location would be treated as a safe haven for drug traffickers, stressing that the agency would continue to act wherever narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances are suspected to have been hidden.

The NDLEA commander said the agency remained committed to going after drug barons and disrupting their networks across the state.

He added that the NDLEA Act empowers the agency to search any location where narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances are believed to have been concealed.

Ofoyeju said, “We will continue to be steps ahead of drug criminals through superior intelligence and compliance with the standard operating procedures.”

He assured residents that the command would sustain its intelligence-led operations to rid communities of illicit drugs and arrest those involved in the trade.