The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old man, Patrick Ojele, who pretended to be mentally unstable while secretly operating a marijuana farm in Awka, the state capital.
Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said Ojele was apprehended on Wednesday during a routine patrol along the Awka–Enugu Expressway near Ngozika Estate. He later led officers to a hidden farm, where large quantities of cannabis were discovered.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, said the arrest was part of renewed efforts to disrupt drug supply networks that fuel cultism and violent crime. He directed that the suspect be transferred to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad, Enugwu-Ukwu, for further investigation to trace his buyers and dismantle the distribution chain.
In a separate operation, police also arrested 10 suspected cultists across the state, recovering a pistol, live ammunition, and other items. The suspects, linked to the Aye Confraternity (Black Axe), are currently undergoing profiling and will be charged to court if found culpable.
The Commissioner praised the swift actions of the operatives, reaffirming the Command’s commitment to intelligence-led raids, aggressive operations, and community collaboration to curb cultism, firearms proliferation, and related crimes in the state.
