The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested three men over alleged marijuana cultivation and sales in parts of the state.
The suspects, identified as Aondaver Dominic, Sylvanus Umoor and Peter Tar, were arrested on Thursday, October 22, during an anti-crime operation in Sabongida Bature and Gidan Kparev villages in Kadarko, Keana Local Government Area.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Lafia on Friday.
According to him, operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, apprehended the suspects at about 1pm while conducting patrols in the area.
Nansel said the operation led officers to a suspected hideout where marijuana was allegedly sold and consumed.
He added that the suspects attempted to escape upon sighting the police but were arrested, with quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp recovered from them.
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The police spokesperson further stated that subsequent investigations led operatives to a garden behind the suspects’ residence, where the substance was allegedly being cultivated.
Freshly harvested leaves suspected to be marijuana were also recovered from the garden, while all exhibits had been secured for further investigation, he said.
Nansel said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, had ordered a thorough investigation and directed that the suspects and recovered exhibits be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further action.
The police commissioner also charged officers to intensify efforts to combat crime across the state and reassured residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
The command urged members of the public to provide credible and timely information to security agencies to support efforts to maintain peace and security.
