The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army has arrested a 46-year-old patent medicine vendor, 25-year-old supermarket owner and three others with 11,297 capsules of tramadol and other controlled substances in the state.
#Muktv reports that the State Commander of NDLEA, Dr Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed this on Tuesday, February 10,2026 in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City.
Ofoyeju gave the names of the patent medicine vendor and supermarket owner as Akam Theophilus and Ashitor Godfrey.
He also identified the three other suspects as Asemota Endurance, Franklin Kijie, and Smart Ekhaitor.
He listed the drug exhibits recovered to include 11,297 capsules of tramadol, 400 tablets of diazepam, 108 tablets of Swinol and 22 tablets of Danabol, also known as ‘Molly’.
Others are 3.685kg of cannabis, 181 grammes of Loud, 7 grammes of methamphetamine and 10 bottles of codeine cough syrup.
He said the joint operations underscored a strengthened inter-agency collaboration leading to the significant breakthroughs in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse within the state.
While noting that the Army has reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to supporting the NDLEA’s mandate, he added that the pledge of their total support followed coordinated raids targeting drug hotspots in Benin City.
He stated that the Army, which has also assured that there is no hideout for drug traffickers, warned that anyone caught around the barracks will be transferred to the NDLEA for prosecution.
“The locations raided include a patent medicine shop near the S&T Barracks, a supermarket opposite Ekenwan Barracks and the notorious Obagie area, off Sapele Road, Benin City.
The seamless collaboration with the Nigerian Army was in line with the operational mandate by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa, rtd.
“I have been mandated by the Chairman to take drug criminals out of the State. Drugs are a catalyst of crime. Anyone hiding under the canopy of a patient medicine shop or a supermarket to peddle tramadol, Swinol, diazepam, codeine cough syrup and cannabis will not go unpunished. This is totally unacceptable, and the law must take its full course.
These operations send a clear and unequivocal message to drug traffickers and dealers, especially those who operate around sensitive installations like barracks, believing it offers them a shield. There is no safe haven.
“The synergy between the NDLEA and the Nigerian Army is formidable, and we will continue to dismantle drug networks across Edo State as directed by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. General Buba Marwa (rtd),” he said.
He, however, warned that targeting youths with illicit substances is an attack on the future of the nation, and such actions will be met with the full force of the law.
The NDLEA boss in the state said the agency has a responsibility under the law to arrest criminal elements that are destroying society through illicit drug trafficking, thereby creating a safer and healthier environment for all citizens.
Ofoyeju, however, urged the public to continue providing useful information to the NDLEA, assuring that the information would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
He said all the suspects are currently in custody, and investigations are ongoing for immediate prosecution.
