Agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency seized nearly half a tonne of cannabis from a shrine in Edo State last month.
The haul weighed 498 kilograms in total. It was discovered during a raid on Igwe Community in Owan East Local Government Area on May 22.
Mitchell Ofoyeju, the NDLEA commander in Edo, revealed the seizure in Benin on Thursday. He explained that operatives acted on intelligence reports about drug traffickers in the area.
The recovered drugs consisted of 489 kilograms of skunk cannabis packed in 59 bags. An additional 9 kilograms of cannabis seeds were also found at the location.
A notorious drug baron identified as Asrenre abandoned the consignment. The suspect remains at large, according to Ofoyeju.
Youth from the community resisted the search initially. They argued that the shrine was sacred and shouldn't be violated, Ofoyeju noted.
Officers pressed ahead regardless. Their search of the premises uncovered the hidden cannabis stash.
Ofoyeju vowed that the agency won't be deterred by such claims. He said the NDLEA Act gives the agency power to search anywhere drugs are suspected.
"We will continue to be steps ahead of drug criminals through superior intelligence and compliance with standard operating procedures," he told reporters.
The commander promised sustained operations against traffickers across the state. He said hunting down drug barons remains a top priority.
