Saturday, December 13, 2014

NDLEA Destroys 400 Hectares of Cannabis Farm in Ekiti State!

     The newly coded intelligence-led raid of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) across the South West and South South and North Central States of Ekiti, Edo, Delta and Kogi, has led to the arrest of a-36-year-old suspected drug baron, and operational head of a cannabis syndicate known as AKUNNUBAS, Uche Destiny Obi also known as The King Maker along with seven other members of the cartel including two truck drivers.
Cannabis weighing a total of 1,514,278kg with an estimated street value of 15.1 billion naira was also intercepted.

During the operation, Cannabis plantations were raided and destroyed at Ise Forest Reserve in Ise/Orun Local Government Area, Ode camp in Gboyin Local government Area both in Ekiti State and Utese Forest Reserve in Edo State. One hundred officers drawn from various State Commands participated in the operation that lasted fortwelve days.
 

Uche Destiny Obi is the Vice Chairman and operational head of the AKUNNUBAS, a group that specializes in cannabis cultivation and distribution. He is called the King Maker because of his overriding influence in determining appointment of otherExecutive members as well as execution of punishment on erring members and foes. The criminal group is believed to have a growing influence and operational stronghold in South West and South South States of the country.
NDLEA investigation reveals that the Akunnubas is responsible forover eighty percent (80%) of cannabis production in the country. The syndicate hires cheap labour including school age children to work at cannabis farms. They use motorcycles in conveying processed cannabis from the farms to a temporary covert warehouse from where trucks are later used in taking the drug forinter-State distribution.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade described the arrest of Uche Destiny Obi as a reward for painstaking investigation. “The suspected drug kingpin Uche Destiny Obi was placed under investigation by the Agency forseveral months. This is an era of protracted and diligent investigation that will expose illicit drug activities of suspected drug barons who will soon be caught in the dragnet of the NDLEA. I am delighted with the success of the painstaking surveillance carried out by officers in Operation Weed Eater” Giade stated.
The NDLEA boss stressed that the Agency is poised to dismantle drug traffickingsyndicates and put an end to their criminal activities.
Culled from Leadership Newspaper

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