Peter Okoye, PBA Journalism Mentee
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have destroyed 7,286 kilograms (72.86 tons) of skunk and five hectares of its plantation in Ujiogba Forest Reserve in Esan West LGA of Edo State.
Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, said the operation was carried out on Thursday, following a credible intelligence that some cartels had warehoused hundreds of jumbo bags of the illicit substance inside the forest reserve for distribution to some states ahead of the general elections slated for Saturday 25th of this Month.
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“The operation was delayed a bit due to several roadblocks set up by armed guards of the drug lords but were however cleared after the law enforcement men with the superior firepower of Strike Force officers overpowered the them in a gun battle.
During the operation, two rifles, spent cartridges of short guns and an empty shell of an AK47 rifle was recovered while a 24-year-old suspect, Calvary Essien, was arrested,” Babafemi stated.
The agency revealed through the statement that operatives in their numbers successfully descended on a big warehouse constructed with wood and zinc containing, 100 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 3.2 tons; 5,000 bags of cannabis weighing 65 tons and 137 bags of cannabis seeds weighing 4.66 tons, totalling 72.86 tons.
Seven bags of cannabis and one bag of its seeds were subsequently taken out of the warehouse for further investigation and prosecution of suspects while the rest was set ablaze.
Recall that Prime Business Africa reported a similar occurrence in January where the similar incident took place at the Opuje forest in the Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State where massive warehouses and tents storing over 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of the psychoactive substance were destroyed and set ablaze in a two-day operation by the NDLEA.
A police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, who was parading as a Police Inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities and three others, Aigberuan Jacob, Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere were arrested in connection with the drugs.
In his reaction, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) applauded all the officers involved for their effort and, the almost 10,000 officers, men and women deployed across the country in the pre-election renewed offensive action to clear every part of the country of illicit substances for use by thugs and miscreants before, during and after the elections.
The NDLEA boss however said that taking the battle to the doorsteps of the cartels deep in the forests is to reproach the danger of drug supply from the source and to also send the right message to the barons that there is no haven for them and their investments anywhere in the country.
