From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Soldiers attached to the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure have intercepted 132 bags of indian hemp worth N5.8million.
The bags were intercepted separately at Omotosho military checkpoint, along Benin-Ore highway and Owo headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of the state.
At the Omotosho military checkpoint, 82 bags of Indian hemp being conveyed by drug lords were abandoned in two SUVs, an ash coloured Toyota Sequoia.
The drug lords were said to have fled into a nearby bush and abandoned their wares.
In Owo, two suspects who were dressed in police camouflage were caught with 50 bags of indian hemp at an Isua military checkpoint.
Names of the suspects were given as Nze Ezenwa, aged 55 years, and Mr Stephen Sunday aged 35 years.
The suspects were said to be going to deliver the goods to one Seriki in Abuja, in a white coloured Toyota Sienna mini bus marked RBC 334 BG.
Officer Commanding Military Police, Emontimi Konte Cleopas, who spoke to newsmen after handing over the suspects and exhibits to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the suspects wore masks and were dressed in Nigeria Police pullovers.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has discovered a warehouse where 524 bags of cannabis sativa, popularly called Indian hemp, were stored at Egbeta in Ondo State.
The NDLEA officials, who stormed the town, which is at the boundary of Ondo and Edo States, discovered the warehouse and arrested two suspects with bags containing Indian hemp. Two bags of cannabis seeds were also seized during the operation that lasted for many hours.
Addressing journalists in Akure, acting state Commander of the NDLEA, Cally’s Alumona, said the state is unsafe for Indian hemp cultivators and traffickers.
He said the owner of the warehouse was still at large, but assured that the command will soon apprehend him. The NDLEA boss added that the operation will continue until the state is free of cultivation of illicit drugs.