NDLEA Destroyed 14 Hectares Cannabis Farms in Edo
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have destroyed over 14 hectares of cannabis cultivated farms in Edo State.
The development was part of continued nationwide ‘offensive action’ against drug traffickers in the past few weeks by the anti-narcotics agency during which hundreds of kilograms of illicit substances were seized at the airports, courier firms, hideouts.
A statement by the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, stated that in Edo, operatives stormed remote forests in Ovia North East area of the state between September 8th and 16th, destroyed over 14 hectares of cannabis farms, and recovered 172.6 kilograms of cannabis.
He said three female and male suspects were also arrested in raids across Owan East and Akoko Edo areas of Edo state during which different quantities of cannabis and local mixtures called monkey tail were recovered.
According to the statement, in another clampdown, attempts by a female passenger, Isesele Obehi and one Emmanuel Chibuzor Omebere to export illicit drugs to Europe through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja was thwarted by narcotic officers who arrested them shortly before they boarded their flights.
The statement revealed that while Isesele was nabbed on Saturday, September 11th, 2021, during outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight at Gate B departure hall of the Lagos airport on her way to Milan, Italy, with 312 sachets of Tramadol, weighing 1.5 kilograms, concealed in crayfish and dried vegetables, Chibuzor was caught with 137.45 grams of the same drug concealed in foodstuff at the Abuja airport on September 2nd, during outward clearance of Turkish Airline flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
Furthermore, the statement noted that efforts by desperate traffickers to export varying sizes of consignments containing cocaine, heroin and other illicit drugs through courier firms were also foiled.
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“Some of the seized drugs include 475 grams of heroin concealed in food items going to Canada; 202 grams of cocaine hidden in body cream containers going to Australia; 720 grams of Cannabis Sativa tucked in computer hard drives heading to the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and another 2.1 kilograms of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles going to Oman, while 60 grams of cocaine concealed in degree certificates meant for Australia was also seized, all from three courier firms in Lagos,” it added.
It also revealed that a 38-year-old pregnant woman, Kate Nwuju was arrested on September 14th, at her residence in Rumueme, Mile 4 area of Port Harcourt, Rivers state with 4.5 kilograms of cannabis following intelligence that she sells drugs.
It also disclosed that another person, Aliyu Saidu, suspected to be a fake soldier was arrested with 2.3 kilograms of cannabis Sativa in a commercial bus from Lagos to Makurdi on September 13th, at Aliade checkpoint, Benue State.
“In Kano, one Shuaibu Yusuf, was arrested on Friday 17th Sept with 537 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa, concealed among bags of cement in a truck, while in Ogun state, five persons were arrested on Tuesday 14th Sept after their truck conveying 552 kilograms cannabis was intercepted at Ogere Remo, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“In a related development, narcotic officers on motorized patrol on Friday 17th Sept, arrested a 21-year-old Law Ubi at Marian Road, Calabar, Cross River state with 67.4 kilograms cannabis while a follow-up search of his residence the following day, Saturday, led to the recovery of 4.2 grams of Cocaine from his apartment,” it added.
Speaking on the latest arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), commended officers and men of the Lagos airport, Abuja airport, Benue, Kano, Ogun, Rivers, Cross River, and Edo commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI, of the agency for maintaining the heat on drug dealers.
He was quoted to have said that their efforts, “further reaffirm our determination that those in this criminal trade will always have the new NDLEA to contend with; whether in their homes, on the streets, at the ports and deep in the forests, we’ll chase them with every legitimate force and smoke them out, up to the last man or woman if they fail to repent.”
