Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Edo State Command have launched a series of successful operations, including a dry season cannabis farm destruction.
Commander of Narcotics Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, said in a statement that the State Commander of the anti-narcotic agency officers located three farms at Etiosa Forest in Owan West Local Government measuring 0.145307, 0.203658, and 0.157772 hectares. A total of 1,956.92kg of cannabis was intercepted and seven suspected drug traffickers apprehended during the operations.
The operation, guided by an intelligence report, resulted in the destruction of 0.506737 hectares with an estimated yield of 1,266.85kg of cannabis. Additionally, the officers said they recovered 23 kilograms of processed cannabis during the operation, and two suspects, including a 68-year-old grandmother, Evelyn Ogenewu, and a 43-year-old, Friday Iruoje, were taken into custody. Their involvement in the cultivation of cannabis was confirmed, with authorities confiscating 8 kilograms of cannabis from Iruoje and an additional 15 kilograms from Ogenewu.
“The operation demonstrates our ongoing commitment to eradicating illegal cannabis cultivation and trafficking across the state. We will continue to act on credible intelligence and take swift action against those involved in drug-related activities,” Mitchell stated.
In a related operation at the Yoruba Camp in Olumoye Forest, Ovia North East Local Government, officers seized a staggering 563.5 kilograms of skunk cannabis. Five male suspects, Murtala Mohammed, 37, Abdulkadir Idris, 29, Ufoma Edafe, 40, Anthony Aghati, 46, and Emmanuel Owalu, 39, were apprehended during the raid.
In a third operation at Otuo Forest in the Owan East LGA, NDLEA agents discovered eight bags and sixty compressed blocks of skunk cannabis concealed within a cocoa plantation weighing 103.57kg. While no suspects were arrested at this location, the investigation is ongoing to track down the offenders.
The NDLEA used the opportunity to appeal that members of the public should remain vigilant and assist the NDLEA personnel in keeping the state safe from the damaging effects of illicit drugs. It gave assurances that investigation into all cases remains active, with further developments expected as the authorities work diligently to bring all responsible parties to justice in line with the NDLEA Act.
