The Anambra State Police Command has arrested 43-year-old Patrick Ojele for allegedly cultivating a marijuana farm in Awka while disguising himself as a mentally unstable person. Here’s what we know about the case:
– Arrest Details: Ojele was apprehended on September 17, 2025, by operatives attached to the Operations Department, Awka, during a routine patrol along the Awka-Enugu Expressway near Ngozika Estate.
– Duration of Operation: The suspect allegedly operated the marijuana farm for over two years, using his guise of insanity to deflect suspicion from residents and security agents.
– Investigation: After his arrest, Ojele led police officers to a hidden farmland where large quantities of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa were discovered and recovered. The police will conduct further investigation to identify his buyers and dismantle the wider distribution network.
– Transfer to SPACS: Ojele has been transferred to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad (SPACS) in Enugwu-Ukwu for discreet investigation.
– Police Reaction: Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, described the arrest as part of the Command’s renewed operational strategy aimed at cutting off criminal supplies, especially hard drugs, which fuel cultism, violence, and other serious crimes in the state.
