In five local government areas of Ondo State, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives destroyed 255 hectares of cannabis cultivation worth over N900 million.
Femi Babafemi, an NDLEA spokesperson, said in an Abuja statement on Wednesday that 13 suspects were apprehended during the operation.
According to him, the drill, dubbed Operation Abub, began on February 15, 2022, near Ogbese Forest and lasted till February 21, 2022.
At the Ogbese forest, a suspect, Olatunde Olaoluwa, was arrested on his cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares, which was destroyed and burnt along with other cannabis farms spread across the Ogbese riverbank.
“The following day, February 16, the agency’s strike force operatives stormed Ipele forest, where they arrested four suspects — Amos Mark, Luke Job, Monday Momoh, and Otunuya Waya, while 19 hectares of irrigated cannabis plantations were destroyed.
“One of the suspects, who escaped during the farm destruction, was later arrested in his house.
“The Omolowo community in Ogbese area was raided on Wednesday, February 17, when one Mary Udonije was arrested inside a 10-hectare farm with 16.5kg of cannabis seeds and 4.5kg of processed cannabis.
“Also recovered on the farm was an irrigation pumping machine, with over 700 metres hose for watering the illicit weed.
“Not less than 154kg of cannabis seeds was also seized at Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area, with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt.
A suspect, John Mike, who claimed to be a labourer, was also apprehended with 2.5kg of cannabis seeds,” the statement said.
The NDLEA noted that on day four of the operation, 54 hectares of cannabis farm was destroyed at Utte and Okuluse forest, in the Ose LGA of the state.
Also recovered on the farm was 95kg of cannabis seeds, 2.5kg of processed cannabis sativa and a pumping machine with a long hose
On the fifth day, a 58-year-old man, Anthony Agbe, was reportedly arrested with 43kg of fresh cannabis inside a farm that was earlier destroyed at Ogbese.
The agency said on the same day, one Ahmadu Abubakar was arrested with three Dane guns in a hut within a farm where over three hectares were destroyed in the Akure North LGA of the state.
On the last day of the operation, Monday, February 21, over 50 clusters of cannabis farm spread across 47 hectares were destroyed and 2kg of cannabis seeds seized, while a suspect, Olorunlogo Lekan, was apprehended inside a large cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares at Ala forest before it was destroyed and burnt.
At least, 72 hectares of other cannabis farms in small clusters close to the identified ones in the five forests were also destroyed in the course of the operation.