The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Tuesday arraigned a university drop-out, Paul Enyivigbo, before a Federal High Court in Enugu for allegedly owning one hectare of cannabis sativa farmland.

While testifying in court, the prosecutor, Mr J. O. Momodu, said the defendant, prior to his arrest was a drop out of University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

The defendant was charged on a three-count charge of conspiracy, selling and possession of such quantity of unlawful substance without authorisation from the anti-narcotic agency.

The prosecutor told the court that an anonymous source reported the matter with address of the said farm where he planted the unlawful substance.

He said the accused has being in the business for the past two years without the knowledge of his parents.

Momodu noted that the defendant was nabbed in June this year, adding that the parents expressed disbelief when they got to know that he was a drop out as he had been collecting school fees.

“The parents said that the accused has been collecting school fees, accommodation fee, feeding money from them pretending to be in school while he is not,” he said.

According to Momodu, the accused in order to monitor his farm, built a mud house very close to the farm, adding that he lives there.

He further stated that some of the farmers in the farm settlement complained that the accused had been terrorizing them and taking way their personal belongings forcefully.

Counsel to the accused, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuja, however stated that the accused became a university drop-out because his parents could not pay his fees.

Ugwuja argued that the accused owned a cassava plantation at Agu-Opi farm settlement and not cannabis sativa plantation.

Justice Dorothy Agishi adjourned the matter to October 2 for hearing.