The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Saturday said it discovered and destroyed a 30-30 hectare of cannabis plantation on a forest in Cross Rivers State.
NDLEA Cross Rivers Commander, Mrs Rachel Umebuali, who dosclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar, the state capital, noted that the plantation was discovered in the Odukpani Local Government Are of the state.
According to her, some of drug peddlers were not originally from the area but paid locals to protect them by refusing to inform the authorities about their activities.
Umebuali said some suspects in connection with the plantation and 163.9kg of Indian hemp was recovered from the site.
“They come here and give money to the locals who protect them by not giving out information of their unholy activities,” she said.
Umebuali said the command has arrested 191 individuals and convicted 15 person wothin the space of six months from January to June.
She added that within the period, 6,716.8kg of illicit drugs, 2935kg of cannabis sativa were seized.
According to her, the command seized “129.6kg of methamphetamine, 82.7kg of psychotropic, 33.3 liters of cannabis mixture, 47.7kg of cocaine, 32.3kg of heroine, 69.7kg Opiod and babiturate, and 5gram Ecstasy drug” between January and June in the state.
“We have also continued to carry out various advocacy programmes in various institutions across the state, with the object of reducing the menace of drug abuse in the society,” she added.
“Between January and June this year, we carried out 191 sensitisation outings to schools, market places, churches, mosques, non governmental organisations amongst others.”