The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized more than 10 tonnes of illicit drugs and recovered 40 firearms and 874 rounds of ammunition in Kogi State since late 2025.
The agency’s State Commander, Umar Yahuza, disclosed this in Lokoja on Tuesday, October 6, during the handover of the recovered weapons and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Yahuza said the weapons comprised five pistols and 35 other firearms. He added that several suspects arrested for drug trafficking and related offences were standing trial at the Federal High Court in Lokoja.
Cannabis Accounts for Largest Drug Seizures
According to the commander, cannabis sativa accounted for the largest quantity of drugs seized, followed by tramadol, cocaine and methamphetamine.
He said some of the weapons were recovered from suspected drug dealers allegedly involved in cannabis cultivation who acquired firearms to resist security personnel.
The recovery follows other reported efforts to intercept illegal weapons in the state, including an earlier security operation that intercepted an arms cache in Kogi.
Yahuza said more than 80 per cent of the suspects currently standing trial were male.
The command also recovered counterfeit naira, dollar and pound notes, alongside fake pharmaceutical products. Those items were handed over to the relevant agencies for further investigation.
Elsewhere, The Bureau Journal has reported on NDLEA’s interception of opioids concealed in a truck in Taraba and the agency’s operation against a methamphetamine laboratory in Ebonyi.
NDLEA Urges Residents to Provide Information
Yahuza appealed to residents to provide useful information to security agencies and warned against harbouring people involved in criminal activities.
He said drug trafficking and abuse could contribute to kidnapping and other forms of crime, stressing the importance of public cooperation with law-enforcement agencies.
His warning comes against continuing concerns about abductions along Kogi’s roads and forest corridors. In an earlier operation, security forces rescued 21 abducted victims, including 15 NYSC members.
Omodara Calls for Stronger Security Support
Kogi State Security Adviser, retired Commander Jerry Omodara, commended the NDLEA for its contribution to the fight against crime.
He attributed the relative peace in the state to sustained operations and collaboration among security agencies.
Omodara said efforts were continuing to recover weapons from criminal elements in forests and other locations, adding that some bandits had begun surrendering their arms.
He called for greater Federal Government support for security operations in the North-Central region and welcomed additional military battalions and Forward Operating Bases in Kogi.
The state’s security concerns have also prompted legislative proposals, including a Kogi Assembly initiative aimed at preventing terrorists and other criminal elements from entering the state.
Security Agencies Prepare for October 17 Council Elections
Ahead of the October 17 local government elections, Omodara assured residents that security agencies were coordinating deployment plans for a peaceful exercise.
He warned bandits, kidnappers, highway robbers and cultists to abandon criminal activities or face arrest and prosecution.
The security adviser also commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for supporting security agencies, while urging continued cooperation in tackling criminal activities across the state.
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