The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered nearly half a tonne of skunk cannabis hidden inside a shrine in Edo State, arresting two suspects in what operatives describe as a major breakthrough in the state's ongoing fight against drug trafficking.
The drugs were discovered during a raid on the shrine, where NDLEA officers found the 498 kilogrammes of the high-grade variety carefully concealed. The seizure represents one of the largest single hauls recorded in the state in recent months, and signals the lengths traffickers go to hide their operations in places many would consider off-limits.
Two men were arrested at the scene and are now in custody assisting investigators. However, the drug baron believed to be the kingpin behind the operation managed to escape before officers arrived, prompting the agency to launch a manhunt for him across the state and neighbouring jurisdictions.
The NDLEA has been intensifying operations in Edo State following a spike in cannabis trafficking through the state's porous borders and rural communities. The shrine discovery underscores how organised criminal networks exploit religious and cultural spaces to evade detection, banking on the assumption that security agencies will avoid such locations.
Operatives seized the cannabis after receiving intelligence about the shrine's use as a storage point. The raid was executed swiftly to prevent the suspects from moving the drugs or destroying evidence. Preliminary investigations suggest the shrine had been used as a distribution hub for traffickers supplying markets across the South-South region.
The two arrested suspects are expected to face prosecution under the NDLEA Act once investigations are concluded. The agency has intensified patrols around shrines, temples, and other religious structures in the state as part of its new strategy to disrupt trafficking networks operating under the cover of spirituality.
The NDLEA command in Edo State says it will pursue the fleeing drug baron and has circulated his description to sister agencies and security operatives across state lines to prevent his escape.
