Abuja (Nigeria): The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 24,897 kilograms of skunk in the Edo and Osun forests, respectively.
A statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja, said that not less than 223.5kg processed cannabis and seeds were recovered from four farms in Edo.
Providing a breakdown, Babafemi stated that a total of 10,897.35kg of skunk was destroyed on four farms, measuring 4.358938 hectares at Ugbodo Forest, Ovia North East LGA in Edo, on Friday, October 3.
Babafemi stated that two suspects, Michael Ayang, 40, and Bernard New Year (also known as Don), 47, were arrested.
Also, in Edo, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle, marked KUJ 47 NW, loaded with 22 bags of skunk weighing 244.5kg at Igbanke, Orhionwon LGA, and arrested a suspect, Ineh Excellent Obindi, 28.
Similarly, Babafemi stated that three suspects —Chuimieze Shedrack, 28; Sunday John, 25; and Solomon Okopko, 27 —were apprehended by NDLEA officers on Thursday, October 2, at the Owena/Ijesha forest reserve in Osun State.
This, he said, was where they destroyed 14,000kg of skunk on 5.6 hectares of cannabis plantation and recovered 142 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance.
Meanwhile, Operatives on patrol along the Okene/Lokoja highway intercepted a waybill parcel coming from Lagos to Abuja containing 3.272kg Loud and a sachet of Colorado.
Babafemi stated that a follow-up operation at Gwagwalada Park in Abuja resulted in the arrest of the owner, Tobi Odubote, 34.
He stated that another suspect, Ismail Abdurrahim, 32, was arrested in possession of 25.5kg of skunk on the Abaji-Abuja Expressway on Thursday, October 2.
Similarly, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Hammawa Toungo, Adamawa.
Others are Government Day Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina; Day Secondary School, Unguwan Nasarawa, Kontogora, Niger; and traders at Ladega market, Ikorodu, Lagos.
Babafemi stated that the Imo State Command of the NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to Mrs Chioma Uzodinma, Wife of the governor, at Government House, Owerri, among other visits.