The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed an Indian hemp farm and arrested its owner in Kebbi.

The owner of the farm, 40-year-old Abdullahi Sani, was apprehended at Shingi village in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of the State, where the farm was located.

NDLEA Commander in the state, Mr Peter Odaudu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Friday that the cannabis farm was the second so far discovered in the state.

“Sequel to intelligence report, a team of NDLEA operatives in the state on Sept 5, discovered and destroyed the Cannabis Sativa farm at Shingi village in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.

“The alleged owner of the illicit farm, Abdullahi Sani, a 40-year-old father of six children, was arrested and is presently in our custody undergoing investigation.

“We uprooted 46 kilogrammes of cannabis on the farm.

“This is a dangerous trend indicating a shift of Kebbi from being a drug consuming state to gradually being a drug-producing state via cultivation.

“We will nip the development in the bud before it spreads,” he said.

Odaudu recalled that the agency had on July 24, 2018, arrested a 55-year-old native doctor, Arage Rikici, who also owned an Indian hemp farm at Kukin village in Fakai Local Government Area of the state.

Odaudu advised farmers not to indulge in the cultivation of illicit plants such as cannabis, as it affects soil fertility apart from being punishable by law.

The NDLEA commander called on communities in the state to look out for cannabis Sativa plants in their domain and alert relevant authorities for prompt action, NAN reports.