Police uncover marijuana plantation in Abuja, arrest owner

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command says it has arrested a suspected peddler of prohibited substances suspected to be marijuana, Thaddeus Joseph.

A statement on Friday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Josephine Adeh, said necessary arrangements had been made to forward the name of the suspect to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further actions.

The PPRO said the 32-years-old male resident of Kado Estate Area of the FCT was arrested for the offence of being in possession of a commercial amount of leaves suspected to be Cannabis sativa.

According to her, the arrest was made by operatives of the command on the 7th of September 2022.

She stated that the arrest followed credible information that the suspect cultivates a large farm of leaves suspected to be Cannabis sativa on a piece of land at Godab Estate In the Life Camp area of the nation’s capital.

“Consequent upon the above, a team of the Command’s Intelligence Assets attached to the Anti-Narcotics Section swung into action and apprehended the suspects, which led to the discovery of the farm and removal of the exhibits.

“Upon the arrest, the suspect, in a voluntary statement, confessed to have been in the practice for about two years. While the suspects and exhibits are being transferred for onward investigation/prosecution, the police investigation has been intensified to track down the chain of supply and other criminal affiliations to this suspected criminal enterprise.

“The Commissioner of Police while urging youths and the residents as a whole to eschew drug and prohibited substances-related crimes noted that the involvement in the production and the consumption of such substances isn’t just a crime against the law but also against one’s self.

“He also reassured the good people of the Territory of the Command’s unalloyed commitment to the sustenance of peace and the onward March against crime and criminality till it is brought to the barest minimum,” the PPRO added.