Edo Task Force Crackdown results in seven arrests as authorities intensify operations targeting drug networks across multiple districts.

Commissioner for Public Safety and Security Festus Ebea on Thursday announced that the Edo State Task Force had arrested a nursing mother and six others during a coordinated anti-drug operation across Uromi, Ubiaja and Auchi in Edo Central and Edo North.

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Ebea said the Edo Task Force Crackdown followed credible intelligence and targeted raids on locations identified as established drug hubs.

The seven suspects, three men and four women, were paraded in Benin City after the raids conducted on 26 November as part of the state’s broader effort to maintain a crime-free environment.

Ebea said various quantities of illicit substances were recovered from the suspects, adding that the findings provided compelling evidence linking them to the sale and distribution of hard drugs.

Ebea noted that youths across the state were increasingly vulnerable to drug abuse, which continued to drive deviant and criminal behaviour.

He said the operations in Esan North-East, Esan South-East and Etsako West demonstrated the government’s resolve to dismantle drug networks contributing to rising antisocial conduct.

The commissioner said the suspects would be profiled and handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution.

He added that the crackdown would be sustained, stressing that the state government would persist in locating and removing drug dealers to restore public safety.

Ebea highlighted Governor Monday Okpebholo’s directive to intensify efforts toward a drug-free Edo, describing narcotics as a destructive force in communities.

Chairman of the task force CSP Michael Anetor reaffirmed the team’s commitment to eliminating drug-related crime across the state and commended the commissioner for his backing.

He warned individuals involved in illicit drug activities to withdraw before they are apprehended.

The commissioner reiterated that the crackdown would continue relentlessly until communities across the state are secure and free from the scourge of illegal substances.

The campaign aligns with ongoing cooperation between the Edo State Government and the Edo Command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, which have strengthened enforcement efforts in recent months.

In a parallel initiative, the state government on Wednesday intensified its youth-focused sensitisation campaign across tertiary institutions.

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The programme, led by Andrew Efe, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Okpebholo on Drug and Illicit Control, took the prevention message to the University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University, Auchi Polytechnic and other campuses under the banner Shine Above Drug Abuse.