The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ekiti State Command, has destroyed no fewer than 3.7 hectares of Hemp farmland at Ire-Ekiti Forest in Oye Local Government Area of the state.

Also, the agency had arrested eight suspects, including a woman alleged to be involved in cultivating the illegal crop and seized 1,465kg of substances suspected to be hemp from the farmland.

Mr Kabir Ibrahim, a Deputy Commander, Operations and Investigation and Mr Isaac Fadare, the Principal Staff In-Charge of Operations at the NDLEA in the state, led the team for the operations to Ire-Ekiti on Friday.

Ibrahim speaking with newsmen shortly after the raiding of the three farms located about 20 kilometers away from the town, said that the agency acted on tips about the Hemp plantation in the forest in Ire-Ekiti.

“Acting on pieces of information that there is Cannabis sativa plantation, popularly known as hemp here in Ire-Ekiti forest and that the people have started harvesting, we immediately swung into action.

“Identified the three farms, recovered 1,465 kg of the substance and arrested eight suspects. The farms which are located about 20kilometres away from the town, spanned over 3.7 hectares of land mass,” he said.

Ibrahim urged members of the communities to cultivate legitimate crops on their farm plantation as against planting of Hemp. (The Guardian)