The Edo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling drug trafficking and substance abuse, warning that offenders will face the full weight of the law.
According to The Punch, the assurance was given on Friday during the commemoration of the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking held at the Government House in Benin City.
Representing Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Senior Special Assistant on Drug Policy and Trafficking Control, Andrew Efe, said the state would not be a safe haven for drug traffickers.
“If you bring drugs into this state, we will find you. We will seize your drugs, and you will face the full weight of the law. There will be no hiding place and no sacred cow,” he said.
Efe urged parents, schools, religious organisations and communities to work with government in preventing drug abuse, adding that the state was investing in youth empowerment and skills acquisition programmes.
The Edo State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the agency had continued to intensify its operations against drug trafficking despite emerging challenges.
He disclosed that the command arrested 289 suspected drug traffickers, secured 52 convictions, seized or destroyed 35,008.38 kilogrammes of illicit drugs, while 135 persons received counselling for drug abuse.
Ofoyeju attributed the increasing rate of substance abuse among young people to factors such as poverty, unemployment, ignorance and peer pressure.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady and Chairperson of the Edo State Drug Control Committee, Mrs Edesili Anani Okpebholo, warned that social media had become a growing channel through which young people were being exposed to drugs.
“If we continue to fight with yesterday’s methods, we will lose today’s youth. Our response must be smarter, not just louder,” she said.
The event featured goodwill messages from security agencies, a drama presentation by members of the National Youth Service Corps Drug Control Club and a quiz competition won by Pioneer Education Centre School 1.
