The police in Ekiti State have arrested five suspected criminals dealing in Indian hemp following crack investigations and follow-up, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Emmanuel Ogundare has said.
Ogundare said that men of the police Rapid Response Squad, in conjunction with the operatives of Ekiti State Amotekun Corps arrested one man identified as Monday during a stop and search operation.
The police commissioner, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, said that the suspect, who was arrested during a stop and search along Uso Road, Ise-Ekiti, had in his possession one locally made pistol and two live cartridges.
He stated, “During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he is an Indian hemp dealer who engages in the cultivation of the weeds at Ise-Ekiti forest and other nefarious activities.
“He mentioned four others – ThankGod, Lucky, Wisdom and Samuel – as his criminal allies and led the police team to their hideouts in Ise-Ekiti forest”.
The commissioner said that items recovered from them included “one locally made single barrel gun, four cartridges, a large number of seeds and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp”.
He said that the suspects arrested would be arraigned in court at the end of the investigation as he reiterated the command’s commitment to puncturing criminal activities which were mostly caused by heavy intake of narcotics and other illicit drugs.
The police boss also implored residents to always volunteer useful information that could assist the police to apprehend criminal suspects in the state.
