Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jan 2008
Source: This Day (Nigeria)
Copyright: 2008 This Day.
Contact:  http://www.thisdayonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2870
Author: James Sowole
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

NDLEA, POLICE MOVE TO CHECK DRUG FARMING

(Ondo) - National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has instituted 
a joint operation team with  men of the state police command and 
other security agencies, to reduce  cultivation and consumption of 
hard drugs, especially cannabis.

NDLEA state Commander,  Mr Shedow Gaura, said this while speaking 
with reporters in his office in Akure, Ondo State capital, adding 
that the action became necessary,  to reduce the menace, particularly 
in Akure, Ondo, Akoko and Ore, regarded as black spots. He said the 
Command is consistently raiding all the areas to reduce the high rate 
of consumption of Indian hemp by youths between the ages of 17 and 
27, adding that Gaura said Ondo State is one of the highest producers 
of cannabis adding that the command had seized 10 tonnes of cannabis, 
while about 172 arrests were made between June and December 2007.

He said no fewer than 46 youths were currently going through 
rehabilitation to transform their lives and make them useful for the 
society and the nation at large.While enumerating some of the 
problems faced by the command, Gaura said many of the officers 
were  attacked by over 300 armed Indian hemp cultivators.

"My major concern is about some people who give their farmlands to 
some miscreants to cultivate. I wonder how a right thinking person 
will give his farmland for cannabis cultivation, this is really 
giving us  sleepless nights in the command," he said and  urged 
people   to supply the Command with useful information about  farms 
being cultivated by the unrepentant cultivators, assuring that the 
Command would make such information confidential.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom