The Bauchi State Police Command has launched an investigation after 387 blocks of suspected cannabis sativa were recovered following a motor vehicle accident in Toro Local Government Area.
Police Commissioner Sani-Omolori Aliyu disclosed on Friday that the dried leaves were discovered at the scene of a crash involving two Toyota Corolla vehicles in Wom Village on October 4, 2025.
According to Aliyu, the first vehicle, a white Toyota Corolla (ABC-459LF), was driven by 45-year-old Ali Muhammad, transporting the District Head of Nabardo, Suleiman Bala Suleiman, 65, along with his family, from Bauchi Metropolis to Nabardo Village.
The second vehicle, also a white Toyota Corolla (GWA-155GW), was driven by an unidentified individual travelling from Jos, Plateau State, toward Bauchi. Preliminary reports indicate the driver attempted to overtake without caution, resulting in a head-on collision with the first car.
All occupants sustained varying injuries and were taken to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, for treatment. The District Head suffered a leg fracture, while other victims have since been discharged.
During a post-crash search of the second vehicle, police recovered 387 blocks of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis, along with personal items, a black Tecno phone without a SIM card, a national driver’s licence, and vehicle documents.
The recovered items have been sent to the State Investigation Department for forensic analysis. Afterward, the case will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.
Aliyu confirmed that efforts are ongoing to locate the unidentified driver and urged the public to provide any information that could assist in the investigation.
NDLEA data indicate that Bauchi has consistently ranked among the top northern states for cannabis seizures, with major interceptions along the Jos–Bauchi–Gombe corridor. In 2024 alone, over 2,000 kilograms of cannabis were seized in Bauchi, with 145 arrests made.
Authorities have noted that traffickers often use private vehicles and remote roads to transport cannabis, a practice also observed in neighbouring Plateau, Gombe, and Taraba states.
