The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, on Thursday raided and destroyed two Cannabis Sativa farm hectares in Ajani Village of Ona-Ara Local Government Area in Oyo State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that cannabis sativa farm which was cultivated inside a thick forest that could only be accessed on foot took NDLEA officials about two hours trek.
Addressing newsmen during the exercise, The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mrs Josephine Obi, said that the 0.28 hectares cannabis sativa farm could produce nearly 200 bags after harvest.
Obi said that the command had been mounting surveillance on the village and other parts of the state for a long time to ascertain whether or not cannabis sativa was growing in the area.
The commander said that dealers of cannabis sativa were trying to relocate because of the pressure from other states but added that the state command would not allow cannabis sativa cultivation to boom in Oyo State.
She alleged that many farmers in the village were into cultivation of cannabis sativa, saying it is an emerging trend.
“ Rather than use the effort in production of more food for the people, they now use it in cultivating things that will bring harm to the youth and society.
“It is this cultivation of this canabis sativa farm that bring about kidnapping, murder,rape among others.
“We must stop this and NDLEA is determined to stop it and we need the support of the community,”Obi said.
The commander said that the problem the agency was facing was due largely to the lack of cooperation from community leaders and farmers’ association, alleging that some communities supported cannabis cultivation.
“Before we got here today, we discovered that the community had informed culprits that NDLEA officials were on their way and the dealers ran away.
“We will continue to go round to destroy their cannabis sativa farm and apprehend the suspects,”she said.
The commander appealed to the community and religious leaders as well as traditional rulers to educate their followers on the dangers inherent in the cultivation of cannabis sativa.
