The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old man, Patrick Ojele, for allegedly disguising himself as a mentally unstable person while running a hidden cannabis farm in Awka.
Police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday. He said operatives caught Ojele during a routine patrol along the Awka–Enugu Expressway, near Ngozika Estate, on Wednesday.
“The suspect pretended to be mentally unstable while secretly cultivating a marijuana farm in Awka. He later led the team to the hidden farm, where large quantities of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa were recovered,” Ikenga said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, described the arrest as part of a new strategy to weaken criminal networks.
“This arrest reflects the Command’s renewed strategy of cutting off criminal supplies by targeting drug dealers who embolden cultists and violent offenders,” he said.
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Orutugu directed that the suspect be handed over to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad in Enugwu-Ukwu for further investigation. The police said they plan to trace Ojele’s buyers and dismantle his wider distribution network.
This arrest comes as the police intensify operations against drugs and crime in the state. According to Ikenga, no fewer than 54 suspects—39 males and 15 females—have recently been arrested for offences such as kidnapping, cultism, and drug trafficking.
“These coordinated operations are part of our renewed efforts to restore sanity in the state and curb crime among young people between the ages of 18 and 26,” Ikenga said.