Kwara police intercept cannabis hidden under yams, seizing 127 bags and arresting suspects in a joint security operation

The interception occurred on Friday around 4pm along the Babanla–Oreke–Oke-Ode axis. The operation involved the Kwara State Police Command, operatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Forest Security Service, and local vigilantes.

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Two men, Dan-Teni Haruna and Rabiu Ibrahim, both from Saliku in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, were arrested in connection with the drug smuggling.

Cannabis remains the most abused illicit substance in Nigeria, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, which records seizures running into thousands of tonnes annually.

In a related development, security operatives also apprehended three men—Mohammed Abubakar and Hussain, both from Tsaragi, and Tukur Ibrahim, a suspected notorious kidnapper—over their alleged roles in the 8 August invasion of Babanla.

During that attack, gunmen stormed a police station, looted shops, and caused fatalities.

Confirming the breakthrough, the command’s spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, quoted the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, as commending the synergy among security agencies.

“This success is a result of effective collaboration between the police, the NSA operatives, the Nigeria Forest Security Service, and local vigilante groups,” Ojo said.

He warned that criminal elements would find no refuge in the state. “We are determined to maintain security across Kwara. Let it be known that Kwara State will not be a safe haven for criminal elements,” the CP declared.

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Ejire-Adeyemi added that the suspects are undergoing discreet investigation and will be arraigned in court once the process is complete.