NDLEA Arrests 30 Suspected Drug Lords in Edo

 

Hendrix Oliomogbe

30 suspected drug lords have been arrested by the Edo Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly engaging in drugs related offences, the state assistant commander in charge of operations, Mr. Ondotimi Bebetu has disclosed.

Speaking with journalists Wednesday in Benin, Mr. Bebetu explained that the suspects were arrested by operatives of the anti-drug agency during raids of different illegal drug and drinking joints in the state.

He justified the raids, noting that they were a fall out of the state security meeting on July 21, where the state government expressed dismay over the spate of cult related killings in the state which is linked to the influence of drugs.

He accused the suspects of being suspiciously linked to the spike in drugs abuse in the state.

Mr. Bebetu, who is also the spokesman of the agency gave a breakdown of the suspects, who he said were made up of 15 males and 15 females.

He added: "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 what God knows to give themselves the courage, the boast to kill themselves and caused mayhem to disrupt the peace of the society.

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

The assistant commander said that the effect of the exercise which lasted between last Monday July 24 and Tuesday 25 resulted in the arrest of the suspects with the exhibits.