5th April, 2019
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has confiscated 23.8 kg worth of cannabis during a raid at Amike Ezzamgbo, in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Mr Ibrahim Bashir, NDLEA’s Deputy Commander in-charge of Operations and Intelligence, Ebonyi Command, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the exhibits were recovered from a room inside the community hall.
Bashir noted that the hall had been sealed by the agency, as the development showed that the community allowed illegal drug-related activities to be carried out in the area.
“We have been gathering and working on intelligence reports about drug activities in that area, but eventually raided it on Wednesday. We arrested five persons during the raid.
“The main suspect is providing useful information on the source of the exhibits, as we released others who included those that merely sleep inside the hall,” he said.
Bashir noted that with the arrest of the suspect and sealing of the hall, the command would meet the community leaders over the issue.
“The suspect will be charged to court, as we have arrested 65 suspects in connection with illegal drug-related offences in 2019.
“We do not prosecute all the suspects, as prosecution depends on the gravity of the offence and exhibits recovered from them.
“Some of them are just drug users, who are counselled and released; but we have prosecuted 15 of the arrested suspects within the period,” he said.