The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State has uncovered 498 kilograms of skunk cannabis allegedly hidden inside a shrine in the state.
In a Thursday statement, the Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed that the agency’s operatives uncovered the consignment abandoned by a suspected drug baron identified simply as Asrenre, who is currently at large.
Ofoyeju disclosed that operatives acting on credible intelligence carried out a coordinated raid on May 22, 2026, at Igwe Community in the Owan East Local Government Area of the state.
The NDLEA state commander further disclosed that the operation led to the recovery of 59 bags of skunk cannabis weighing 489 kilograms, alongside nine kilograms of cannabis seeds, all concealed inside a shrine allegedly used by members of the drug syndicate.
He said some youths in the community initially resisted the operation, insisting that the shrine was a sacred place inhabited by their deities.
“Some youths of the community claimed that the location was the sacred home of their deities, but our officers insisted on conducting the search, which eventually led to the discovery of the concealed bags of cannabis,” he said.
Ofoyeju added that the NDLEA is on the trail of the prime suspect.
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