The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized more than 10 tonnes of illicit drugs, 40 firearms and 874 rounds of ammunition in Kogi State since late 2025.
Mr Umar Yahuza, State Commander, NDLEA in Kogi, disclosed this in Lokoja on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen after the handover of the arms and ammunition to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Yahuza said the weapons included five pistols and 35 other firearms, while several suspects arrested for drug trafficking and related offences were facing trial at the Federal High Court in Lokoja. More than 80 per cent of those standing trial, he said, were male.
He identified cannabis sativa constituted the largest quantity of illicit drugs seized by the command, followed by tramadol, cocaine and methamphetamine. Some of the firearms, he added, were recovered from suspected drug dealers allegedly involved in cannabis cultivation who acquired the weapons to resist security personnel.
The command also recovered counterfeit naira, dollar and pound notes, as well as fake pharmaceutical products, which were handed over to relevant agencies for further investigation.
Yahuza urged residents to provide useful information to security agencies and advised residents against assisting criminals, stressing that illicit drug trafficking and abuse contributed to insecurity, kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
Kogi State Security Adviser, retired Commander Jerry Omodara, commended the NDLEA for contributing to the wider fight against crime.
Omodara said sustained security operations and inter-agency collaboration had contributed to the relative peace in the state. He disclosed that efforts were ongoing to recover more weapons from criminal elements in forests and other locations, adding that some bandits had begun surrendering their weapons.
He called for increased Federal Government support for security operations in the North-Central region, describing Kogi as strategically important because of its road and water links between northern and southern Nigeria, and welcomed the strengthening of military formations in Kogi through additional battalions and Forward Operating Bases.
Ahead of the October 17 local government elections, Omodara assured residents of adequate security, saying security agencies were coordinating their deployment plans for a peaceful exercise.
He warned bandits, kidnappers, highway robbers and cultists to abandon criminal activities or face arrest and prosecution, while commending Governor Usman Ododo for his continued support for security agencies.
