NDLEA arrests traditional chief with 8 bags of Indian hemp

The National DrugLaw EnforcementAgency (NDLEA), Osun State, has arrested an Akure high chief for allegedly being in possession of eight bags of Indian hemp.The agency's acting Commander, Mr Samuel Gadzama, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo that the 52-year-old suspect was arrested with his cousin on Sept. 23 in Iwo.``The surveillance team of the command was monitoring the movement of the two suspects in a Honda saloon car, marked BC 57 FST, coming from Ilesa before it was finally stopped at Iwo.``The team initially wanted to trace them to where they were going to supply the eight bags of Indian hemp weighing 45.45 kg, but swooped on them when the suspects wanted to escape after discovering that the officers were tracing them,'' Gadzama said.He said that investigation was still going on, adding that the suspects would be charged to court at the appropriate time.But when questioned, the high chief denied any involvement in the case.He claimed that he only assisted the second suspect who was his cousin in transporting the weeds to Iwo.``I got to know what was inside the bags when he (second suspect) supplied two bags to a customer in Ilesa before heading to Iwo with the remaining eight bags.``I am from a popular family in Obaile-Akure, a respected chief in Akure land, so I cannot indulge in criminal act,'' he added.Gadzama further disclosed that 45 hectares of Indian hemp farm were destroyed between August and September in the state, while 309.685kg of Indian hemp was recovered from traffickers and cultivators.He said that the latest farm destruction exercise held last Tuesday, at the Oloro-Araromi Forest Reserve in Isokan Local Government Area of the state where five hectares of Indian hemp were destroyed.The NDLEA boss further said that 10 suspects were arrested between August and September.
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