The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended three individuals for their alleged involvement in the cultivation of cannabis sativa in Ekiti State.
According to the State Commander, Rufus Aina, NDLEA operatives destroyed approximately 125,750 kilograms of cannabis sativa during a recent operation carried out in forest areas of Igbara Odo and Ilawe Ekiti. An additional 3,456 kilograms of the drug were recovered.
The commander disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the agency’s State Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics Ifeoluwa Fabiyi, in Ado Ekiti.
Aina explained that the arrests, seizures, and destruction took place between Friday, October 17, and Monday, October 20, 2025.
In the Igbara Odo forest, officers eradicated 72,500 kilograms of freshly grown cannabis covering about 29.7 hectares of farmland, while 53,250 kilograms were destroyed in Ilawe Ekiti. Several nursery beds prepared for transplanting were also cleared.
Reaffirming the agency’s commitment to tackling illicit cultivation, Aina noted that the operation—code-named “Operation Weed Crusher 2025”—was designed to dismantle cannabis supply networks within the state and beyond.
He stated, “The operation has been producing encouraging results. It sends a strong message to those involved in the illicit cultivation of cannabis and demonstrates our resolve to disrupt their supply chain.”
Aina added that the successful operation in Igbara Odo followed a similar effort in Ilawe Ekiti, where officers recovered 84 bags of harvested and dried cannabis sativa weighing 2,316 kilograms.
Three suspects were detained during the multi-day operation, which was supported by a team of 40 hired labourers assisting in the destruction of the farms.
The NDLEA also reported that a separate operation in Edo State led to the destruction of over 18,000 kilograms of cannabis sativa at Ugbogui Forest in Ovia South-West Local Government Area on September 11, 2025.
Edo State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju warned that such large-scale cultivation poses a significant threat to food security, as farmlands intended for food crops are increasingly being diverted to cannabis production.
He stressed, “The extensive destruction of cannabis farms highlights how this illegal practice undermines agricultural productivity. If these lands were used for food or cash crops, it would help mitigate food shortages across the region.”
