Ondo farmers grew Indian hemp on 514 hectares – NDLEA
The
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Monday in Akure said some
farmers in Ondo State had in the last two years used about 514 hectares
of farmland to cultivate cannabis popularly known as Indian hemp.
Chairman/Chief Executive of
the Agency, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, stated this at the public destruction of
61,000 kilogrammes of drug exhibits in the state capital.
Giade described cannabis
cultivation as a serious threat to food production, adding that the
agency was determined to frustrate drug barons.
He said, “We will frustrate every move to undermine the lofty agricultural programmes of the state government.
“We will not fold our hands
and watch drug barons divert arable land for the cultivation of
cannabis instead of growing legitimate food and cash crops.”
Giade expressed satisfaction that his men had uncovered several secret warehouses being used to store cannabis.
He said, “In the past two
years, Ondo State has led other states in the agency’s annual drug
seizures with 123,452.76 kilogrammes of cannabis and destruction of 514
hectares of cannabis farmland.
“The command had also seized 67,979.80 kilogrammes of cannabis and traced 367 hectares of farmland in 2010.
“Also, 55,472.96 kilogrammes of cannabis were seized and 147 hectares of cannabis farmland destroyed in 2011.”
The state Commissioner for
Environment, Mr. Sola Ebiseni, who represented Governor Olusegun Mimiko
called for more grass root mobilisation in the fight against illicit
drugs.
He said, “Ondo State is known for the
production of food and cash crops. We must not allow few
criminally-minded persons to give us a bad name. Those who cultivate
these drugs are living among us and we have a duty to expose them.”
