By Tola Gbadamosi

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No fewer than 656 bags of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) have been intercepted at various points in Ondo State by security agents.
The state command of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered 524 bags at a warehouse at Egbeta, a boarder town between Edo and Ondo States, as the troops of 32 Artillery Brigade Intercepted 50 bags in a Toyota Sienna bus transiting from Owo to Abuja.
Two persons were arrested by the NDLEA officers during the operation. Three hundred and sixty-one bags of the substance were burnt due to logistical challenges, while the rest were taken to the command’s headquarters in Akure.
Also, Army personnel deployed on internal security operations at Omotosho on Benin-Ore road Military check point equaly intercepted two vehicles with 82 bags heading towards Lagos.
Addressing journalists in Akure yesterday , NDLEA’s Acting State Commander, Cally Alumona disclosed that the owner of the warehouse had bolted away but promised that the command would soon apprehend him and bring him to the court.
He vowed that the command would be all out against drug peddlers in the state.
Two suspects who accompanied the 50 bags intercepted along Owo-Abuja road were arrested.
While parading the suspects, officer Commander, 32 Artillery Brigade Provost, Major Emontimi Kontei said the suspects, Nze Ezenwa aged 55 years and Stephen Sunday aged 35 years were arrested on August 2, 2021 while on transit from Owo to Abuja in a white colour Toyota Sienna mini-bus with registration number RBC 334 BG.
According to him, “at the time of arrest, the suspects were masked and dressed in Nigeria Police pullover and replaced the original vehicle plate number with fake Nigeria Police vehicle number NPF 1651D and mounted with siren in order to divert attention of security agencies.”
The Hope Metro gathered that the items recovered from them include four mobile phones, two wallets and the sum of One Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand Three Hundred Naira( N148,300.00).
In a related development, army personnel deployed on Internal Security Operations at Omotosho military check point along Benin – Ore express road intercepted two vehicles with 82 bags of substance suspected to be Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) heading towards Lagos.”
He said the vehicles; ash coloured Toyota Sequoia with Registration number APP-918-FA and a green colour Sequoia with Registration number FST 169-BW and were abandoned by the suspects on sighting security men and absconded into bush.”
The Deputy Commander NARCOTICS, Ondo State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ibrahim Adamu, commended the army for the operations and sought for more synergy between the NDLEA and the military.
Ibrahim noted that further investigations and necessary actions would be carried out on the suspects.
During interviews with the suspects, they said they were lured into the business.
One of them, Stephen Sunday who explained that he is from Olamaboro local Government Area of Kogi State said “we got the marijuana from a farm in Owo local government area of Ondo State and those who sold it to us covered their tracks, so no one could trace them.
“I got the vehicle we used in conveying the Cannabis sativa on higher purchase for commercial purpose but I was lured into this business.”