The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has said drug barons and traffickers in the country would smoked out of their hiding places and make made to face the wrath of the law.
Marwa said this in a statement on Sunday while reacting to the arrest of seven drug barons operating four large warehouses in Ukpuje forest, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Recall that a total of 16,344 bags of cannabis and seeds, weighing 233, 778 kilogrammes and valued at N1.4bn were seized in addition to two pump-action and one double-barrel guns.
The suspects in NDLEA custody include Emmanuel Oki, 62, who is the chairman of the vigilante group in Ukpuje; Chief Odi Sabato, 42, and Bright Inemi Edegbe, 53.
Others are Gowon Ehimigbai, 53; Enodi Ode, 37; Ayo Oni, 30 and Akhime Benjamin, 43.
The Edo State Commander of the anti-drug agency, Buba Wakawa, had said on Saturday that the seizure was the largest single concentration of cannabis discovered by the command.
Reacting to the development on Sunday, Marwa commended the commander, men and officers of the Edo State Command, as well as the Nigeria Army in Benin, for their support in ensuring the success of the operation, adding that such offensive action would be sustained across the country.
He said, “I made it clear in my inaugural remarks on January 18, while sounding a note of warning to those involved in this illicit trade, that they either back out or have the NDLEA to contend with because our maxim must and will remain offensive action; to smoke the drug barons and traffickers out of their holes, forests and bunkers. The heat is on and we’ll continue to increase the furnace until we smoke them out of their hiding places to face the law.”
