National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested nine suspects in connection with a suspected Indian hemp plantation in Kulani village in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Aliyu Adole, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Tuesday.
Adole said the suspects reside in the village where the plantation, capable of producing a large quantity of the hemp, was uncovered.
He added that “the suspects have Indian hemp plantation capable of producing a large quantity of the weed.
“It is unfortunate that our youths are engaged in hemp farming instead of food or cash crops production.”
Adole said the suspects were not selling the weed in the state alone but were exporting part of it to neighbouring states of Adamawa and Taraba.
The commander said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigation.
He explained that the command was looking at the possibility of establishing an area command in Tallase, headquarter of Balanga Local Government Area, to curb activities of farmers who engaged in Indian hemp cultivation.
“We want to establish an office at the local government headquarters so that we will be able to monitor the activities of criminals who engaged in the cultivation of the weed.
“But our major constraint has to do with workforce: we cannot perform effectively without adequate manpower, which is lacking at present.
“Once the rainy season starts, you begin to see farms where the weed is planted: we do not want to give people the chance to engage in such illegal activity.”
Adole appealed to government at all levels to assist the agency with logistics to enable its operatives to penetrate difficult terrain in the state.
He warned people who were into hard drug business to stop or be made to face the consequences.
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