Army Seizes 108kg of Cannabis, Arrests Suspect in Kogi

The Nigerian Army has intercepted more than 108 kilogrammes of cannabis and arrested a suspected trafficker during an operation on a key highway linking Ekiti and Kogi states, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

In a statement, the 12 Brigade said troops conducting a stop-and-search along the Kabba–Obajana expressway on Monday uncovered 10 sacks of cannabis, weighing a combined 108.8 kilogrammes, concealed inside a Toyota Camry. The driver, believed to be a major courier within a wider trafficking network, was immediately detained.

Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, spokesperson for the brigade, described the interception as a significant boost to ongoing efforts to disrupt organised criminal activity in the region. He said the cannabis shipment, traced to Ekiti State, represented a “substantial financial asset” for criminal groups and posed a serious threat to public security.

Troops initially became suspicious after spotting a police-branded cap and belt displayed on the vehicle’s dashboard. A detailed search then exposed the hidden sacks of cannabis.

Military officials stressed that large-scale drug movements contribute directly to the funding of banditry, armed violence and other security challenges in Kogi and neighbouring states. Preliminary findings suggest the seized consignment was part of a broader trafficking operation with far-reaching implications for regional security.

The army has handed both the suspect and the confiscated drugs to the Kogi State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution. Officials highlighted that the operation demonstrates ongoing cooperation between the military and law enforcement bodies to combat the illicit drug trade.

The Nigerian Army reiterated that drug trafficking fuels armed criminality across central and northern Nigeria, including kidnappings and rural banditry. Interceptions such as Monday’s, they said, are aimed at cutting off the financial channels sustaining these groups.

The NDLEA has launched an investigation, with more details on the suspect’s network expected in due course.