Fake Madman Busted for Cultivating Large Marijuana in Hidden Farm

A 43-year-old man, Patrick Ojele, has been arrested by the Anambra State Police Command for allegedly cultivating a large marijuana farm in Awka while pretending to be mentally unstable.

According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the suspect was apprehended on September 17, 2025, by operatives attached to the Operations Department during a routine patrol along the Awka–Enugu Expressway, near Ngozika Estate.

The officers, suspicious of Ojele’s behaviour, detained him and later followed him to a hidden farm where significant quantities of weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa were discovered. Authorities believe the farm had been in operation for over two years.

Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, described the arrest as a major step in the Command’s new strategy aimed at crippling the supply chain of drugs that fuel cultism and violent crimes in the state.

“This operation reflects our commitment to cutting off criminal supplies and arresting those who embolden cultists and other dangerous elements through the drug trade,” CP Orutugu said.

The Commissioner has ordered that the suspect be transferred to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad (SPACS) in Enugwu-Ukwu for further investigation. Police say efforts are underway to identify Ojele’s buyers and dismantle the broader distribution network.

Investigations are ongoing.