Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ondo State have destroyed 523 hectares of cannabis farmland between 2011 to date while over 148,593kgs of cannabis sativa popularly known as marijuana in its herbal form has been seized within the period.
The Public Relations Officer [PRO] of the command, Mr Archibong Peter told newsmen in Akure that over 148, 593kgs of the hard drug were also destroyed within the same period.
Giving the breakdown as follows, 2011, 147 hectares , 2012, 330 hectares and between January and September 2013, 46 hectares of farmland have been destroyed so far .
Also within the same period, he said in 2011, 55, 472.9 kgs was seized from the drug criminals while in 2012 another 61,242.64 kg of the weed was seized and in 2013, 31,879.4 kg was also seized .
“If this trend continues there is the fear that in the next few years the country will face serious treat and timber may go into extinction.”. there is serious destruction going on in the forest”, he said.
The NDLEA state spokesman also disclosed that they have made over 129 convictions between 2009 and 2013 adding that they have just obtained a court order that would enable them destroy about 54,438.2 kg of the drug now in their custody.” That will be done publicly soon, he said”.
He stressed that the command have also in its custody about sixteen drug users or addicts now undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.
According to him, “the commander of the command Mr Walter Nicolas has been working hard to ensure that these drug victims were taken care of. and not .left on the streets as some of them don’t even have anywhere to go.” Two of them he said wrote the last GCE exams while another two has secured places into higher institution.
He lamented the sorry plight of some boys and girls being used as labour by those involved in this illegal trade.” these people go as far as Adamawa, Plateau and other states to bring people they use as their manpower without their family knowing their where about.. this is because they go far far into the forest at night, and when this people wake up they will just find themselves inside thick forest and the way of escape will be difficult”
Archibong said even though Ondo State indigenes were not really involved in the cultivation, the land is porous and people come from other states come into the state and use the land for the illegal trade. “Sometimes we have to treck for days into the forest to arrest and destroy some of these farmlands but not without serious danger or confrontation. Ondo is the largest producer, not consumer and it requires a lot of intelligence to be able to arrest the culprits”.
According to him , “two officers of the command were killed by these men during serious confrontation in recent times as they see their illegal business as a way of life and survival but now we are embarking on serious enlightenment campaign so that the community leaders will know the danger in these things and we are happy we are winning the war”, he said.
However, he appealed to parents to watch and take proper care of their wards and childred so that they do not fall into the hands of these set of people who end up enslaving them.
Marijuana also known as “weed” or “pot” is said to be the most abused drug in the United state of America and other parts of the world including Nigeria.
Comments