NDLEA seeks traditional rulers’ support to tackle drug abuse

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has called on traditional rulers across the country to take a more active role in the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug cultivation.

Marwa made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, in Benin City, Edo State.

The NDLEA boss, who was in the state to assess the agency’s command and address the Regimental Sergeant Majors Convention of the Nigerian Army, identified drug abuse as one of the three major challenges confronting Nigeria.

He said more than 15 million Nigerians were abusing drugs, a figure he described as three times the global average, warning that the scale of the problem required a collective response involving traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society groups, government and the media.

Marwa commended the Oba for his contributions to drug control and efforts to address other social challenges, while seeking his continued support for the agency’s initiatives.

He disclosed that the NDLEA had introduced an alternative development strategy aimed at persuading cannabis farmers to abandon illicit cultivation and embrace legitimate agricultural activities.

According to him, the initiative became necessary because cannabis accounts for about 75 per cent of the 16 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances seized by the agency in the last six years.

He identified Edo as one of the states where cannabis is cultivated, noting that the agency was engaging farmers and encouraging them to switch to crops such as cassava, yam and maize.

“Of the 16 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances we seized in the last six years, 75 per cent is cannabis because we cultivate it in Nigeria. Edo State is also one of the cultivating states,” he said.

Marwa explained that although cannabis cultivation was more financially attractive to farmers, many had welcomed the alternative development initiative because it offered them an opportunity to earn a living without the fear of arrest or prosecution.

“They have confided in us that they are grateful for this initiative because, even though there is more money in cannabis than in these legitimate crops, at least they will have peace of mind when they cultivate,” he added.

He described the initiative as a new strategic pillar in the agency’s drug control efforts, adding that Nigeria was the first African country to adopt the approach.