Emmanuel Adeyemi Lokoja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Tuesday destroyed over 17 hectares of hemp plantations in the eastern part of Kogi State.
In one of the farm ( cannabis sativa) plantations owned by a 42 years old farmer, Clement Akor , a mild drama occurred when the suspect held one of NDLEA operatives begging him repeatedly to kill him rather than standing to watch the labour of his hand been destroyed.
In his words” officer, it is better you shoot and kill me now instead of allowing me to watch this huge farm being destroyed, this is a despicable moment of my life that I can’t stand, this humiliation is too disgusting
” I am not a thief, this is the labour of my hand. As government couldn’t provide me job, I took my time to transverse Edo and Yoruba land to get the best of these marijuana seeds to plant in this thick forest and it remains only two weeks for me to harvest it, then suddenly you people came to destroy it, I know I can’t recover again.
” How can I spend so much money , energy and time on an enterprise only for you people to destroy it and set it ablaze, this is wickedness of the highest order and it is better for me to die now because this only my hope” Akor broke down like a baby and wept profusely
It took the intervention of reporters and other operatives to plead with Akor that even if he does not care a hoot about his life, his six children and wife will be badly hit if he dies now.
Akor’s large farm is about 10 hectares situated in the deep forest of Ititepe community in Ofu local government area of the state
He was arrested along with a 25 years old farm hand who identified himself as David Ameh.
The NDLEA also arrested one Eduarance Samson and Abah Sunday at
Nyele,Ofu LGA of the state and destroyed a Cannabis sativa farmland worth over 7 hectares.
Speaking with newsmen after the destruction, the state Commandant of NDLEA, Alfred Adewumi said he will never allow the state to be turned a drug infested state.
He said his men were more combat ready to flush any drug baron or trafficker from the state warning that his intelligence gathering unit are combing the state to uncover any cannabis farm no matter wherever it is situated in the forest.