NDLEA Destroys Three Acres Of Cannabis Farm In Sokoto

The Sokoto State chapter of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has carried out a total destruction of a three-acre cannabis farm in Sayinna town of the state.

The Commandant of NDLEA Sokoto Command, Adamu Iro, confirmed the operation during a press conference held at the state command headquarters on Saturday, Naija News reports.

According to him, the operation was initiated after gathering intelligence, and the officers and personnel of the command swiftly took action to eradicate the illicit crop, which was planted within a maize farm. Additionally, the suspect responsible for the cultivation was apprehended.

During the briefing, the commandant further highlighted that Sokoto has a historical association with marijuana cultivation.

However, with the recent developments, the state is making efforts to establish itself as one of the identified producers of this illegal crop.

The 32-year-old suspect, Anas Sani Sayinna, while responding to a question from journalists, said he brought the seeds from Lagos six months ago.

“I call on my colleagues and those yet to engage in the cultivation of the drug-related crop to desist and engage in legal and meaningful ventures that will make them self-reliant and successful,” Vanguard quoted the suspect saying.

NDLEA Arrests Notorious Drug Kingpin In Abuja

Barely two weeks ago, the NDLEA arrested a notorious drug dealer, Ibrahim Bendel, also known as Ibrahim Momoh.

The suspect is reportedly known as a major distributor of illegal substances in Abuja. Reports claimed Momoh has been on the run since he escaped from prison custody in 2016 following his conviction for drug dealing.

On November 20, 2022, NDLEA operatives raided Momoh’s hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) based on credible intelligence. They discovered 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,278kgs in a warehouse located within his poultry farm. Although Momoh was not present at the time, his warehouse manager, Richard Forson Gordon, a 55-year-old Ghanaian, was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to two years in jail. Momoh was subsequently declared a wanted fugitive.

The relentless pursuit of the drug lord finally paid off on November 5, 2023, when NDLEA operatives raided his hideout once again, this time at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja. He was apprehended with 56.9kgs of cannabis sativa and 42.7 grams of Diazepam. In another operation on November 13, 2023, in the same area of the FCT, a suspect named Yusufa Ibrahim was arrested with 75.3kgs of cannabis.