Further investigations revealed that the agency destroyed 3,660 hectares of cannabis farms last year and recovered 40 tonnes of the 'weed' abandoned on the farms.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 3,834 suspected drug suspects and seized 39 tonnes of illicit substances between January and August 2019.
In a document obtained by PRNigeria, 3,834 suspects were arrested between January and August 2019 and out of that number, 3,465 were males while 369 were females.
So far, the agency secured 150 convictions made up of 143 males and 7 females.
According to the document, from the total number of tonnes of drugs seized, cannabis weighed over 35 tonnes, while opiates, barbiturates, and tramadol were 1,653, 1,501 and 1,405 kilogrammes respectively.
The data indicate that cannabis was the only locally-cultivated illicit drug in Nigeria.
Other seizures include 82 kg of cocaine, 15kg of heroin, 64kg of methamphetamine, 128kg of ephedrine, while cough syrup with codeine content stands at 530kg.
Further investigations revealed that the agency destroyed 3,660 hectares of cannabis farms last year and recovered 40 tonnes of the 'weed' abandoned on the farms.
A top official of the agency, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told PRNigeria: “Cumulatively, the agency publicly destroyed 375, 371.79 kilogrammes of illicit substances. This is made up of 14 tonnes of drugs seized over a period of two years in Adamawa.
“In Ondo State, the agency destroyed 110 tonnes while in Edo, it destroyed 136 tonnes, and set six tonnes ablaze in Jigawa. In Delta, the agency recently destroyed approximately 90 tonnes of illicit drugs and 18 tonnes in Kogi.”