Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, successfully defended against a barrage of gunfire from armed criminals who obstructed all roads in Opuje community, Owan West local government area of Edo State. Their aim was to hinder the access of anti-narcotic operatives to their forest warehouses.
The warehouses were found to contain large quantities of processed psychoactive substances intended for nationwide distribution in preparation for the upcoming Christmas and New Year season.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said, “This attack is coming barely 11 months after armed youths recruited by drug barons ambushed NDLEA officers who stormed the community to destroy massive warehouses and tents storing over 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of cannabis sativa on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
He disclosed that “At least three suspects: Omoruan Theophilus, 37; Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs then.”
“The Opuje community is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where the cartels invest huge resources, cutting down economic trees of the forest reserves and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares.”
“After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.”
“Following credible intelligence that the drug cartels had again stocked their warehouses in the forest to start distribution of the psychoactive substance to various parts of the country ahead of the yuletide season, teams of NDLEA officers were mobilized to enter the Edo forests and block the distribution of the illicit drug by destroying their warehouses.”
“Some of the warehouses containing about 6,000 kg of cannabis were first taken down in Ujiogba forest in Esan West LGA last weekend.”
“The NDLEA teams, however, came under gunfire attack in the early hours of Monday, December 4, when they approached the Opuje forest after the armed hoodlums had blocked all access roads in the community.”