Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a 38-old-man and father of two for allegedly dealing in sacks of dried weeds that tested positive for Cannabis Sativa.
The suspect, Ifa Bello, was arrested at Egbeta village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.
Similarly, the command also conducted a raid on a cannabis farmhouse at Uyere forest, Ovia North East, where 11 sacks of Cannabis were seized.
The drug found on Ifa Bello weighed 24 kilogrammes while the 11 sacks found in the Cannabis farm weighed 130 kilogrammes.
Also recovered at the farmhouse were Cannabis Sativa seeds, weighing eight kilogrammes.
This brought the total weight of drug exhibits to one 162 kilogrammes.
Commandant of the NDLEA in the state, Mr. Buba Wakawa, congratulated officers of the Okada Area Command and vowed to continue with similar raids to eliminate illicit drugs from state.
“I especially congratulate officers of Okada Area Command for the arrest and seizures. We are making consistent progress and will not relent until the entire state is free from the menace of illicit drugs”, he said.
Buba equally said the command has seized over 14,000 kilogrammes of drugs between January and April 2018.
Over 12 dry season cannabis farms measuring 7.5 hectares have been discovered and destroyed by the command.
The suspect, Ifa Bellon hails from Igba Ateru in Ondo State. He is currently being interrogated by narcotic investigators and will soon be charged to court for dealing in narcotic drugs.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Command of the NDLEA, has called on members of the public with useful information on illicit drug dealers to report to the command, assuring that such information will be treated with the utmost sense of confidentiality.