NDLEA arrests 30 suspects for drug-related offences in Edo

The Edo Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested 30 suspects for allegedly engaging in drug-related offences.

Mr Ondotimi Bebetu, the State Assistant Commander in charge of operations, disclosed this on Wednesday in a media briefing in Benin.

Bebetu said that the suspects were arrested by the command’s operatives, while conducting a raid on illegal drug and drinking joints.

He said that the raid was a fall out of the state security meeting of July 21, as the state government expressed dismay over the spate of cult activities in the state.

According to him, the activities are suspiciously linked to drug abuse.

“The raid was a fall out of the state security meeting, we had on July 21. Various issues were discussed, but the trending issue, was the cultism issue in the state.

“The government is disturbed, that these cultists are using various illegal substances to give themselves the courage, the boost to kill themselves and cause mayhem to disrupt the peace of the society.

“So at the end of the day, it was discovered that suspiciously they were under the influence of hard drugs and so, the government now decided that the state security outfits and sister agencies should join hands together and mop up the society of this drug abuse.

“This is the effect of what you are seeing. We just jumped out for a two-day exercise, between Monday and Tuesday.

“That is the result you are seeing, behind me, the suspects and the exhibits,” he said.

Bebetu, who doubles as the Spokesman of the agency, said that the suspects were made up of 15 males and 15 females.

The NDLEA boss said that investigation into the case is ongoing to separate the dealers from the users.

He said that the dealers would be charged to court, while the users would be counseled.

Our correspondent reports that items recovered from the suspects included packs of tramadol tablets, and dried and fresh weed, suspected to be cannabis sativa.