NDLEA VOWS TO CONFISCATE LANDS USED FOR NARCOTICS

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA has said the agency
will no longer hesitate to confiscate any land used to cultivate
marijuana and hand it over to the government through the instrument of
the Federal High Court as it is the practice presently with moveable
property.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Ahmadu Giade made this
declaration in Benin, the Edo State capital over the weekend while
presiding over the public destruction of 31,813 kilogrammes (32 tons)
of marijuana seized and forfeited by the Edo State command of the agency.

According to Giade, some land owners have simply leased out their
lands and they never bothered to find out what those who collected
their lands are doing on such lands. Instead the concern of the land
owner is only in the money paid out to them for leasing such lands.

The NDLEA boss warned that it is not enough to just give out their
land, the land owners need to monitor the tenants on their lands or
else the real owners of such farmlands would be charged along with the
tenants for conspiracy, aiding and abetting the use of their lands to
grow Marijuana and the agency will urge the courts to forfeit their
lands to the government.

Giade had embarked on a three state commands tour to destroy forfeited
exhibits in a move geared towards urging the officers of the agency to
rededicate themselves to duty and challenge them to greater
accomplishment in the new year.

The visit which had earlier taken him to Rivers and Bayelsa State
commands of the agency had seen him supervise the destruction of
3661.109 and 670 kilogrammes of Marijuana and other narcotic drugs as
well as psychotropic substances in the two commands
respectively.

Giade said the agency has fought fiercely on every front in the last
one year of his stay at the helm of affairs adding that he is very
convinced that it has been a well fought battle to salvage the youths
of the country.

In his own remark at the occasion, the Governor of Edo State, who was
represented by the State Commissioner for Health Mr. Godwin Ovbiagele
said the effort of the Edo State command of the Agency is very much
appreciated especially when viewed against the background of the fact
that the crime rate in Edo State has gone down drastically. The
Governor pointed out that this was very noticeable during the last
yuletide season where there was no armed robbery incident at all.

On the issue of request for logistic support to strengthen the Edo
State command of the Agency, the Governor promised to assist the
Agency in this regard adding that no reasonable government will fail
to lend a hand to any result - oriented organization especially where
the issue involve is in combating crime and making the state safe and
comfortable to live in.