Officers of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) fought a gun battle with cannabis farmers in the Ugbogie woods of Edo State on 10 May 2003.[1] After what the agency called a fierce shootout, in which no one was hurt or killed, its officers arrested three farmers and seized two guns, 15 bullets, a battle axe, a motorcycle, and about 300 pounds (about 136 kilograms) of marijuana.[1]
NDLEA local commander Harriman Manuwa told the Vanguard that the suspects and their gang were notorious growers who used arms to guard their farms and produce, and were believed to kill intruders they took for spies and to rob timber merchants in the forest.[1] He warned that traffickers in the state would be pursued and dealt with under due process of law.[1]
The clash fits a wider pattern: cannabis is the only illicit drug produced in large quantities in Nigeria, grown in all 36 states, and the U.S. State Department noted that growers often depend on it as their sole income, so eradication efforts risk armed resistance.[1]
