The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ondo State Command has confirmed the arrest of two suspected drug pushers with 500grammes of Cocaine in Ondo West local government area of the state.
This was disclosed by the NDLEA State Commander, Mohammed Sokoto, while briefing reporters about the activities of the command for the year 2015 at the command State headquarters in Akure, the state capital.
But Sokoto refused to give further details about the suspects on the grounds that the duo were presently being prosecuted at the law court.
According to him, “right now, we have a lot of surveillances on going in some places where we have pocketed some smokers and users of this cocaine.
“We have arrested two persons in connection to that; the suspects were arrested in Ondo and the investigation is still going on and as soon as they are convicted, we will let you know.”
The NDLEA also disclosed that the command seized about 113,305. 305.844kgs of cannabis sativa between January and December this year.
He added that 21 cannabis farmlands were destroyed during the year which he said represented 323 Acres with an estimated 1,550.4 tons of destroyed stems of cannabis sativa.
Sokoto noted that the affected farmlands were located and destroyed at different forests in Elekano, Owo, Ogbese, Ifon, Ita-Gbolu, Idanre, Agodada, Ipele and Ileguta areas of the state.
His words, “a total of 210 suspects were arrested including 131 Males, 16 female, 53 counseled and 10 being rehabilitated. About 35 persons were convicted within this year.
“11 vehicles and seven motorcycles were seized during the year. This includes four trucks, five saloon cars and two Lorries”.
Sokoto commended the state Governor, Olusegun Mimiko on the introduction of Cocoa Revolution Initiative Programme as part of ways of tackling planting of cannabis in the state.
He revealed that the command has started liaising with Cocoa Merchant Association, Timber Trade Organisation and Timber Concessioners on a plan for them to take over all destroyed cannabis plantation in the government forest reserved areas.
He, however, said he believed such strategy would serve as a stop-gap towards gradual eradication of illicit cultivation of cannabis and help in sustaining the socio-economic development of the state.
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