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By Emma Njoku
A total of 255 hectares of cannabis farms have been destroyed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a major operation that lasted seven days in five local government areas of Ondo State.
Director, Media and Advocacy of the anti narcotics agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, who made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, said, 13 suspects were arrested and 250 kilograms of cannabis seeds as well as 63.85kg cannabis weeds were recovered during the operation deep inside five major forests: Omolowo/Powerline forest; Ipele forest; Ala forest; Ogbese forest; Utte and Okuluse forest, that spread across five local council areas of the state.
He said: “The exercise codenamed ‘Operation Abub’, which began at Ogbese forest on Tuesday, February 15, lasted till Monday, February 21, 2022. At the Ogbese forest, a suspect, Olatunde Olaoluwa was arrested in his cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares, which was destroyed and burnt along with other cannabis farms spread across the Ogbese riverbank.
The following day, February 16, the agency’s Strike Force operatives, in their numbers, stormed the Ipele forest, where they arrested Amos Mark; Luke Job; Monday Momoh, and Otunuya Waya, while 19 hectares of irrigated cannabis plantations were destroyed. One of the suspects, who escaped during the farm destruction, was later arrested in his house.
The Omolowo community in the Ogbese area was next on Wednesday, February 23, when one Mary Udonije was arrested inside a 10-hectare farm with 16.5kg of cannabis seeds and 4.5 kg of processed cannabis.
“Also recovered in the farm was an irrigation pumping machine with over 700 metres of hose for watering the illicit weed.”
Babafemi said that not less than 154kg of cannabis seeds was also seized at the Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area, with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt.
A suspect, John Mike, who claimed to be a labourer, was also apprehended with 2.5kg of cannabis seeds.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers and men of the Strike Force corps of the agency for their sacrifices and commitment to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari, that all such cultivation and plantations in the forests must be located and destroyed.
He charged them to look out for more such farms in any part of the country for a similar response.
