Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it seized a total of 15, 253.82kg of illicit drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, heroin and tramadol in 2020.
Giving the breakdown of the command’s 2020 scorecard in Benin City, on Wednesday, state commander of the agency, Buba Wakawa said 262 suspected drug traffickers were apprehended while ten vehicles used in smuggling illegal drugs were impounded.
According to him, those arrested comprised 180 males and 82 females.
Wakawa identified the use of silos, underground tunnels, cannabis warehouses as well as false compartments in trucks, buses and cars as various modes of drug concealment adopted by drug barons.
He explained that the command recorded the achievement despite Covid-19 lockdown and the #EndSARS protest that led to the destruction of the state command headquarters.
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He explained that the command has put measures in place targeted at reducing rising activities of drug trafficking and abuse in the state in 2021.
According to him, “15 cannabis plantations measuring 11.82 hectares were identified and destroyed. In addition, 86 drug-dependent persons were successfully counselled and reunited with their families.
“However, 8 drug traffickers were convicted while 220 cases were pending at the Federal High Court as at December 31, 2020,” he said.
The state commander thanked Governor Godwin Obaseki for his prompt response in providing temporary accommodation for the command following the destruction of the state command headquarters in Benin City during the #EndSARS protest in October last year.
