The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a man who disguised himself as a mentally unstable person while cultivating a hidden cannabis farm in Awka, the state capital.
Police identified the suspect as 43-year-old Patrick Ojele.
He was caught on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, during a patrol along the Awka–Enugu Expressway near Ngozika Estate.
In a statement released on Thursday, the command’s spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest.
He said the suspect later led officers to the secret farm, where large quantities of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa were recovered.
“The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old man, Patrick Ojele, who pretended to be mentally unstable while secretly cultivating a marijuana farm in Awka.
The police operatives nabbed the suspect on September 17 during a routine patrol along the Awka–Enugu Expressway,” Ikenga said.
Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, described the arrest as part of a renewed strategy to cut off criminal supplies by targeting drug dealers.
According to him, drug networks fuel cultism and violent crimes across the state.
He ordered that the suspect be handed over to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad in Enugwu-Ukwu for further investigation.
The squad is expected to trace Ojele’s buyers and dismantle the wider distribution network.
The police also confirmed that in recent operations, 54 suspects were arrested across different local government areas for offences including cultism, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.
The arrests followed coordinated raids in Ogidi, Idemili North LGA, and Ifitedunu, Dunukofia LGA.
Ikenga explained that the raids were part of broader efforts to curb crime and restore order in Anambra.
He noted that many of those arrested were young people between the ages of 18 and 26, a trend that continues to worry law enforcement agencies.
Residents in Awka expressed shock over the discovery, noting that the suspect’s disguise as a mentally unstable man had fooled people in the community for months.
They praised the police for uncovering the hidden farm and urged authorities to intensify efforts against drug cartels in the state.
The police command has vowed to continue surveillance and intelligence-led operations to crack down on criminal activities, particularly those involving hard drugs and banned substances.