Pubdate: Mon, 20 Nov 2006
Source: Tide, The (Nigeria)
Copyright: 2006 The Tide
Contact:  http://www.thetidenews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3973

NDLEA BURNS 35-HECTARE INDIAN HEMP FARM

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in  Ogun State has 
set ablaze a 35-hectare farmland  cultivated with Indian hemp.

Commander of the agency, Nicholas Salu-Walter told  newsmen, 
Saturday, in Abeokuta that the plantation was  discovered at a border 
community between Ogun and Osun  states.

According to him, three suspects were also arrested in  connection 
with the plantation.

"It took my men, numbering 30, about 18 hours, to cut  down the hemp 
trunks and burn the weeds," he said.

Nicholas said that the discovery was a major  achievement by his 
command in the task of ridding the  society of hard drugs.

He warned village heads in the rural areas of the state  against 
giving farmlands to people who engage in the  cultivation of Indian 
hemp, otherwise they would also  be treated as offenders.

He said the agency would intensify its campaign against  illicit 
drugs to reduce the number of those engaged in  consumption and 
trafficking of hard drugs.

"We will mount elaborate public enlightenment  campaigns, in 
collaboration with the National  Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal 
Road Safety  Commission (FRSC), the State Security Service 
(SSS),  the police, civil defence and other agencies that 
have  intelligence units.

"With the right education, and cutting the routes of  production and 
trafficking in hard drugs, we would have  nipped in the bud, the 
dangers inherent in hard drugs,"  he said.

He added that the best way to ensure a safe society was  to keep hard 
drugs off the streets.
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