The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has urged traditional rulers, parents and community leaders to take greater responsibility in Nigeria’s fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, warning that criminal drug syndicates are increasingly using rural communities and forests as bases for illegal operations.
Marwa’s warning follows the recent discovery of industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by Nigerian-Mexican drug cartels in the forests of Ogun and Oyo states.
Speaking on Saturday at the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of the Towulade of Owu Akinale, Oba Oluseyi Ayodeji Adewole Adediran (Otileta I) in Ogun State, the NDLEA chairman called on traditional rulers to become active partners in preventing drug traffickers from infiltrating their communities.
He urged royal fathers and community leaders to closely monitor activities in forests and rural settlements and carefully scrutinise individuals seeking to acquire farmlands, warning that criminal organisations are increasingly exploiting isolated locations to establish illicit drug production facilities.
Marwa stressed that the fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking cannot be won by the NDLEA alone, noting that traditional institutions have a critical role to play because of their close ties to local communities and their influence on young people.
He called on royal councils to establish community-based advocacy networks that would make their communities hostile to drug traffickers while providing support and rehabilitation pathways for people battling substance abuse.
The NDLEA boss also appealed to parents to pay closer attention to their children’s behaviour and recognise early signs of drug abuse before addiction takes hold.
Addressing young people, Marwa warned that illicit drugs offer only a false sense of escape and ultimately worsen life’s challenges.
“Drug abuse does not discriminate. It affects people regardless of their social status, age or location. It compounds life’s challenges instead of solving them,” he said.
Marwa also commended the leadership of the Towulade of Owu Akinale, describing his visit as “a pilgrimage of friendship, respect and deep-seated admiration.”
He recalled that his relationship with Oba Adediran dates back nearly two decades when the monarch served as leader of the Lisabi Youths, praising his dedication and leadership, which he said have continued to define his reign since ascending the throne one year ago.
