The NDLEA
commander in the state, Mr. Dele Akingbade, said the two suspects,
35-year-old Fidelis Ogbonna and 68-year-old Ududem Nwoke, were major
hemp distributors in the state.
Akingbade
said a cannabis warehouse run by Nwoke was discovered during the raid.
It was there the NDLEA discovered nine bags of cannabis weighing 87kg.
When
Ogbonna was arrested, a vehicle he used for the distribution was also
impounded. fifty kilogrammes of cannabis ready for distribution was
reportedly recovered by the NDLEA agents in the process.
Fidelis, a
native of Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, said he is
married with three children. He explained that he could not go beyond
primary school level in his education and it has forced him to rely on
the proceeds of the cannabis business to fend for his family.
“My father
died when I was a little child and I have suffered. A friend introduced
me to the cannabis business. I use the proceeds to take care of my
family. I also use my personal car to distribute it to avoid suspicion,”
he said.
Nwoke also gave a similar confession. He said he had been sustaining his family with cannabis proceeds.
The
suspect, a native of Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State told
investigators that he has no formal education and is married with two
children.
“Cannabis sale is my only source of livelihood,” he said.
Officials told PUNCH that his son, who had been assisting his father in the cannabis trade, is currently on the run.
According
to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the suspects
will soon be charged to court for unlawful possession and trafficking
of cannabis contrary to Section 11 sub-section C and D of the NDLEA Act.
He quoted
the acting Chairman of the agency, Mrs. Roli Bode-George, as expressing
optimism that the agency’s anti-drug strategies would continue to yield
positive results in the country. “These arrests and seizures are
products of painstaking surveillance and the public should look forward
to a systematic dismantling of drug trafficking cartels in the days
ahead,” Bode-George said.
