The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Ekiti State Command, has arrested one Akpan Ndatai (25) with over 500kg of cannabis sativa.
The commandant, Dr Paul Sosina, while parading the suspect at the command, said efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The commandant said the plantation is between Ikere, Ilawe and spreads to another neighbouring town in a ten-hectare plantation farm.
He noted that the suspects had a habitable camp where the processed cannabis sativa were preserved with another large expanse of land for fresh cannabis cultivation.
Sosina gave the assurance that the command would not relent on her oars to make sure that drug-propelled criminal activities were suppressed in the state.
He explained that officers of Counter Terrorism Unit located the plantation when combing the forest after the unit discovered that processed cannabis sativa from the axis always flowing through Ikere axis to the state capital.
He said, “You will recall that the Counter Terrorism Unit had been stationed along Ikere /Ado Ekiti axis to checkmate criminals and miscreants from moving into the state capital. This effort led to the revelation and the eventual discoveries of the plantation and the arrest of a suspect.
“The suspect is currently assisting the command to unravel the disappearance of other suspects with a nod from the commandant that Civil Defence will hand over the suspect to the specialised agency which is NDLEA for further investigation.”
The commandant urged farm owners to be careful of those that are using their heritage for illegal activities as the command will not spare landowners who are found culpable when investigating illegal usage of land resources.