The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and destroyed a 30-hectare cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) plantation hidden in a forest in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.

 

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Calabar, the state Commander of the NDLEA, Mrs. Rachel Umebuali, confirmed that suspects connected to the plantation were arrested, while expressing concern over the protection drug traffickers receive from local residents.

 

“We recovered 163.9kg of cannabis sativa seeds from the plantation,” she revealed.

 

Between January and June 2025, the Cross River Command seized a total of 6,716.8kg of illicit drugs, including:

 

2,935kg of cannabis sativa

 

129.6kg of methamphetamine

 

82.7kg of psychotropic substances

 

33.3 liters of cannabis mixture

 

47.7kg of cocaine

 

32.3kg of heroin

 

69.7kg of opioids and barbiturates

 

5 grams of ecstasy

 

 

In the same period, 191 suspects were arrested, with 15 convictions already secured for various drug-related offenses.

 

What troubles the agency most, Umebuali noted, is that many of the drug peddlers are not indigenes of the state but are shielded by locals who benefit from their operations.

 

“They come here and give money to the locals who protect them by refusing to expose their activities,” she said.

 

Umebuali also highlighted the agency’s ongoing drug abuse prevention efforts. “From January to June, we conducted 191 sensitization programs across schools, churches, mosques, markets, and NGOs,” she added.

 

She praised the support of the state’s First Lady, Mrs. Eyoanwan Otu, in marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse, themed “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention.”

 

Despite the strides, Umebuali said the command continues to grapple with challenges of underfunding and poor logistics, which hamper its operations.