The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in partnership with the Nigerian Army, has eradicated more than 100,000 kg of cannabis from 51 hectares of farmland across three camps in the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, located in the Ise/Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

It was learnt that the operatives stormed the forest on Tuesday, 3 and Wednesday, 4 September.

This is contained in a statement signed on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, identifying the affected settlements as Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.

He said NDLEA operatives supported by Nigerian Army personnel on September 3 and 4 stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, in the Ise/Orun local government area where over 100,000 kg of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farm land were destroyed.

He said, “The affected settlements include: Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.

“Two suspects: Bala Musa, 42, and Danladi Muhammad, 44, were arrested on Friday 6th September along Toro-Jos road, Kaduna with 305kg cannabis concealed in false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM, while another suspect, Aminu Ayuba, 24 was arrested in possession of 18 kilograms of same substance at Makarfi town.

“Two others: Umar Usman, 40, and Zubairu Kabiru, 45, were arrested along Zaria- Kaduna highway in possession of 1300 tablets of tramadol, all same day.

“In Jigawa state, Uzairu Ya’u, 30, was nabbed with 32.6kg of cannabis on Thursday 5th September at Koran Shehu, while operatives in Kogi on Wednesday 4th September intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu LGA, Kogi state. Another suspect, Mohammed Idris, 56, was nabbed along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Tuesday 3rd September, with 42.400kg cannabis coming from Lagos enroute Kano.

“While NDLEA operatives in Borno state arrested Idris Muhammad, 40, at Ramat area of Maiduguri on Thursday 5th September with 13,100 pills of tramadol, their counterparts in Kano on Wednesday 4th September nabbed Hakilu Usman, 35, with 25.8kg cannabis and 3,000 pills of diazepam along Kano–Daura road.

“In Taraba, no fewer than 87,790 pills of tramadol were recovered from Musa Adamu, 30, when he was arrested in Zing, while in Osun state, a raid of the home of a drug kingpin, Mayowa Abayomi Awe (aka Bishop) in Ilesa on Wednesday 4th September led to the seizure of 43grams of crack cocaine, 23grams of methamphetamine, 17.126kg cannabis and a locally made pistol.”