A Toyota Sienna Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) allegedly loaded with dried weeds suspected to be cannabis weighing five hundred and forty (540kg) have been impounded by the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The zonal commander of the anti-drug agency, Mr Buba Wakawa who disclosed this yesterday in Benin said that the vehicle marked LAGOS KSF 932 CM will be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Wakawa explained that “the bus was impounded by officials attached to Okada Area command after it took off from Utese in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the State. The vehicle contained a total of forty-five (45) bags of the dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis sativa commonly known as marijuana or hemp weighing five hundred and forty (540kg). However, the driver fled upon sighting the officers abandoned the bus but efforts are ongoing to arrest those behind the illicit drug shipment.”
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The command also arrested two suspected cannabis cultivators, Ohmai Friday, 36, caught with 241kg and Friday Ohiuan, 45, found with 177kg. Both suspects have confessed to the crime and are currently being investigated. One of the drug suspects, Friday Ohiuan in his confessional statement lamented that most of the cannabis he harvested from his farm was stolen.
In his words,” I have been cultivating cannabis for the past three years but thieves did not allow me to enjoy the fruit of my labour. The 177kg was all that was left and now NDLEA has come to carry the leftover. I started cannabis cultivation so as to raise money in preparation for the burial of my mother-in-law who is very old but my hope has been dashed,” he lamented. The 45-year-old Ohiuan is married with six children and hails from Sabongida-Ora.
Ohmai Friday who hails from Afuze in Edo State told reporters that he too did not enjoy his criminal act. “This is my first time of cultivating cannabis. I am a driver but after I had accident I relocated to the village where I was introduced into cannabis cultivation by a friend. The drug found with me was all that I harvested as I could not sell any before my arrest. This is very painful because all my labour is wasted,” he stated regretfully.
Wakawa warned drug traffickers to quit the criminal act otherwise they will end up regretting their action like these suspects. He added that they will soon be charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others.
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