NDLEA destroys 8 hectares of cannabis farms in Edo

In a report by Vanguard , the Edo Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted an operation to destroy eight hectares of cannabis sativa farms in Upokhoten forest, Uzzebba village, Owan West Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s operatives, led on a three-hour journey, cut down and set ablaze the illicit plantations following intelligence-led surveillance, which led to the arrest of three suspects two weeks prior to the operation.

Ondotimi Bebetu, the command’s Assistant Commander in charge of tions and spokesperson, disclosed that the two farms totaled more than 17 tons of cannabis sativa, valued at millions of naira.

Bebetu emphasized that the destruction was a follow-up activity after recent arrests and lamented that the land used for these illegal farms could have been utilized for cultivating food crops instead. He urged the public to provide information on the locations of such farmlands to aid in curbing the drug production and consumption that poses health risks to communities.

The arrested suspects will undergo discreet investigation before being handed over to the legal unit, which will determine whether to prosecute them or take other appropriate actions.

James Olarewaju, Assistant Commander of Narcotics, Intelligence, expressed concern over Edo’s prominence as a hotspot for cannabis plantations and its year-round farming activities. He emphasized the command’s determination to disrupt the supply chain by focusing on farm destruction, rather than futilely searching for sellers.

One of the suspects, Monday Nduul, from Benue, claimed he was brought in as a “job man” to assist with weeding on the farm and was unaware that it was a cannabis plantation.

Source: Vanguard

Oj_Gist (
)