Mothers arrested for selling alcohol mixed with Indian hemp

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Seme Area command, have arrested three mothers at Badagry, Lagos for allegedly selling alcohol mixed with Indian hemp to members of the community.  

According to NDLEA spokesman, Mitchel Ofoyeju alleged that the women also used their compounds as hideouts for the sale and smoking of cannabis, thus constituting a nuisance to members of the community.

Ofoyeju said: “The arrests were made in response to reports on the illicit drug sales by the suspected mothers. Their criminal act is believed to be the cause of social vices in the society following complaints received by the command.”

NDLEA Seme commander, Mr. Udotong Essien, said that the suspects, Adesola Kolawole, 30, was caught with 2.750kg of cannabis fermented in alcohol, Sade Oyewale, 44, was also caught with 300 grammes of cannabis, while Kadijat Mojeet, 36, was found with 1.1kg of dried weed of cannabis.

Essien said: "We received complaints that these three women were selling and allowing the use of cannabis in their premises. Investigation confirmed the allegation of sales and smoking of cannabis.  Subsequently they were apprehended and drug exhibits recovered from them. The command is also on the trail of other suspects who are believed to be working with the arrested mothers."

Adesola,  a mother of two, who sells dried weed of cannabis mixed with alcohol commonly called ‘monkey tail,’ confessed to have been selling it for a year now.

She said: "Most customers who are young people and adult men prefer to drink alcohol mixed with hemp to get high. We sell a shut for N50, only and it is my source of livelihood. I earn an average of N5000 daily with which I sustain my family."

Sade, a mother of four, said: “We do not want our house to be used for smoking weed but when customers come to buy some of them and want to smoke immediately, we can't stop them. I started selling hemp about a year and half ago.”

Kadijat, also a mother of four children, said: “I used the proceeds of cannabis sales in taking care of myself and my four children. This is my first time of being arrested since I started selling hemp in less than a year ago.”

Chairman of the NDLEA Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (rtd) expressed disappointment over the action of the mothers who ought to be role models to their children and members of the society.