52-Year-Old Woman Slumps and Dies During Drug Arraignment in Benin; Witnesses Blame Negligence as NDLEA Denies Wrongdoing

A routine court session at the Federal High Court in Benin City turned into a scene of chaos and mourning on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, when a suspected drug peddler died minutes into her trial. The deceased, a 52-year-old woman named Titilayo, was being arraigned on charges related to the sale of illicit substances when she suddenly collapsed in front of the presiding judge.

The incident has “flipped the script” on the NDLEA’s recent string of successful convictions in the state. While the agency was prepared to prosecute the “Solution” to the neighborhood’s drug problem, the sudden death of the suspect has instead sparked a heated debate over the treatment of detainees. Onlookers at the court claimed that Titilayo looked “unwell and frail” from the moment she arrived, leading to accusations that she was forced into the dock despite her deteriorating health.

However, the Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, has firmly pushed back against these claims. He maintained that Titilayo was physically fit enough to stand trial, noting that she had “personally walked to the car and got to the court herself” without assistance. Ofoyeju described the death as an unfortunate medical emergency that “no one could have predicted,” adding that his officers stayed on-site to secure other suspects while attempting to assist the deceased.

As the legal community in Edo processes the shock, the focus has shifted to the lack of immediate medical emergency facilities within the court premises. This tragedy comes just days after another drug convict, 34-year-old Tope Ayanwale, also collapsed in the same court after receiving a three-year sentence, though she was successfully stabilized. For Titilayo’s family, the search for answers now rests on a pending autopsy, while the NDLEA insists its “offensive against drugs” will continue despite the setback.