NDLEA destroys five cannabis farms, arrests three suspects in Edo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State has dismantled five cannabis farms and arrested three individuals suspected of drug trafficking, according to the agency's commander in the region, Mitchell Ofoyeju. The operation also saw the seizure of substantial amounts of psychotropic substances, including tramadol, codeine cough syrup, and diazepam, as well as various charms and knives.

Ofoyeju revealed that the total area of the seized cannabis plantations amounted to 2.269668 hectares, with an estimated harvest of 5,674.17kg of the illicit drug.

In total, five cannabis farms were eradicated, with two of them situated at Monday Camp, Usen Forest in Ovia South West Local Government Area, and one at Ogboha Forest in Owan West Local Government Area. Two additional farms, measuring 1.004278 hectares in total, were discovered at Igwe-Oke Forest in Owan East Local Government Area.

During the raids, three suspects were apprehended: Sunday Segun, aged 39, was taken into custody at Ogboha Forest, while Jamie Zubaru was arrested in Auchi with a vehicle laden with illegal narcotics. The third suspect, Hassan Mohammed, was seized in Bob-Izua Park, New Road, Okada town, in possession of 7.1kg of cannabis.

According to Ofoyeju, the cultivation of cannabis is progressively encroaching upon forests across the state. He urged local government chairmen to work in tandem with the NDLEA to curb the illegal growth of cannabis plantations. Ofoyeju emphasized that these farms were cleared within a span of two weeks and appealed for the active involvement of local government authorities in the fight against drug trafficking.