INDIAN HEMP FARMERS ENGAGE NDLEA OFFICERS IN SHOOT-OUT

A GANG of Indian hemp farmers, last Thursday, engaged men of the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State in a fierce shoot-out at
Ugbogie community. No casualty was recorded but two of the suspects were
arrested with two dane guns, 15 rounds of live cartridges, a battle axe,
two motorcycles and some quantity of Indian hemp, while three escaped.

Area Commander of the NDLEA in Benin City, Mr. Harriman Manuwa who
confirmed the shoot-out while speaking to newsmen yesterday, disclosed that
"the suspects and their gang are notorious Indian hemp farmers in Ugbogie
forest who use their arms to guard their farms and their farm produce.

"Information also have it that they kill people who get close to the area
where they farm their Indian hemp, believing that they must be spies and
also rob timber merchants that go into the forest for their legitimate
timber business," he said.

Besides the Ugbogie hemp farmers, he said that three others were arrested
at Uzogwo community with the produce from one of their harvested Indian
hemp farms, adding that NDLEA men later took the suspects to the Uzogwo
forest where their farms measuring several acres were destroyed.

"Presently, the suspects and the exhibits are at our zonal headquarters in
Warri, awaiting prosecution," he said.

Manuwa also said that several bags of Indian hemp weighing 168.24 kilograms
of Indian hemp were recovered from the house of one Sunny (surname
withheld) when men of the NDLEA raided his home. He warned those engaged in
the nefarious activity of illicit trafficking in drugs in the state to
retrace their steps, otherwise, they run the risk of being vigorously
pursued until they are apprehended and dealt with according to the due
process of law.