The police in Anambra State have made a striking arrest — a 43-year-old man, Patrick Ojele, who cunningly disguised his illegal activities behind a facade of mental instability. For over two years, Ojele clandestinely cultivated a marijuana farm right in the heart of Awka, the state capital.

According to a statement from the Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, authorities trooped into action during a routine patrol on Wednesday. Their sharp eyes led them along the Awka–Enugu Expressway near Ngozika Estate, where they apprehended the suspect.

Under interrogation, Ojele was quick to reveal the secret farm nestled nearby — a clandestine patch bursting with weeds believed to be cannabis sativa. The discovery marks a significant crackdown on illicit drug cultivation within the state.

The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old man, Patrick Ojele, who pretended to be mentally unstable while secretly cultivating a marijuana farm in Awka, the state capital.

“The police operatives attached to the Operations Department, Awka, nabbed the suspect on September 17, 2025, during a routine patrol along the Awka–Enugu Expressway near the Ngozika Estate.

“He later led the team to the hidden farm, where large quantities of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa were recovered.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that the arrest reflects the command’s renewed strategy of cutting off criminal supplies by targeting drug dealers who embolden cultists and violent offenders.”

According to him, the CP further directed that the suspect should be handed over to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad, Enugwu-Ukwu, for discreet investigation to trace his buyers and dismantle the wider distribution network.

ASA