The farms were discovered at location in Ogori, Ogori/Magongo local government area of the state.
To the consternation of the state Commander of the agency, Alhaji Idris Bello, one of the farms was located on a mountain of about 2,500 metres above the sea level, and took his operatives several hours to climb.
While destroying the farms at the weekend at Overe Camp, the Idris stated that this is yet another breakthrough in the war against illicit drugs cultivation in the state.
He explained that the startling discovery was as a result of the intelligence report, which was painstakingly processed through the months of surveillance.
The commander pointed out that one Isaac Bello a 28-year-old farmer and native of Obehira in Okene local government area was arrested, along with two other suspects at Overe camp in farm settlement in Ogori on September 7, 2014 for unlawful cultivation of weeds and has since been helping the command to uncover other locations of weeds farms in the area.
“Today’s operation is which is meant to destroy by burning of illicit weeds cannabis sativa is a follow up to the previous operations to render the weeds useless, thereby preventing its circulation to the public,” he stressed.
Bello noted that his command had earlier on carried similar in Isanlu, Ife Olukotun, Igalamela/Odolu, Ibaji and Omala all in Kogi State, expressing the fears that Kogi state he gradually becoming a Cannabis producing state.
The state commander stated that NDLEA cannot fight the war alone, calling on all stakeholders to join hands with agency in the onerous task to eradicate illicit drugs in the society.
He, therefore, appealed to the state government, local governments, NGOs, the traditional rulers, parents and spirited individuals to cooperate with his agency in ridding the menace of illicit drugs.
The prime suspect, Isaac Bello while speaking in an interview with Journalists denied that he was not the owner of the farms, explained that it was one Kobad and Koromi, who are at large, that owned the farms and promised him to hand over the land to him after the harvest.
Isaac stated that he only specialised in planting yam, coco-yam and tomatoes, stressing that he has never cultivated weeds (Indian Hemp).
