NDLEA seizes N80m Indian hemp in Benue

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Benue State has made a single huge seizure of N80 million worth of substances suspected to be cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) weighing 2 tons, 688.9 kilogramme in Alaide area of the state.

State commander, Mrs. Florence Ezeonye, who made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in Makurdi of the successes of the command in 2017, at the weekend, also intimated that a total of 175 suspects were arrested in the year under review.

According to her, the single large seizure of cannabis sativa made in Alaide was compressed into one full lorry load when operatives of the NDLEA intercepted the vehicle, arrested the driver, conductor and a middleman in connection with the illegal content.

Ezeonye said the owner of the consignment who had been identified as a big time hard drug baron, is currently being trailed by operatives of the command.

She said 1.92834 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in different locations in the past one year in the state while the psychotropic substances seized in the period under review weighed 98.292 kilograms as well as 2.3 grammes of cocaine also seized by the command.

She said the command also secured 71 convictions while other cases are pending at various levels in the Federal High Court in Makurdi and 23 drug users were rehabilitated and counselled.

Also, the Edo State Command of the NDLEA said it arrested 240 suspected cannabis dealers between January and December while it destroyed 50 hectares of cannabis plantation across the state valued at N2.9bn.