The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, yesterday, decried the proliferation of illicit drugs among the youth and charged the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to remain up and doing in tackling the menace.

The monarch expressed this worry during the familiarisation visit of Oyo State Command of the NDLEA led by its Commander, Olayinka Fadile, to his Alarere residence.

Olubadan, who was decorated as Ambassador of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) by Fadile during the visit, said the entire traditional council of Ibadan was worried about the unpleasant situation in the various communities in the hinterland, where boys and girls now take pride in drug abuse without hindrance, asking the agency to check the situation.

Speaking through his Bobajiro, Chief Tajudeen Aremu, Olubadan said: “You cannot be more worried than me and members of the traditional council in Ibadanland over the menace of drug abuse among our boys and girls in our communities.

“On our part, we won’t relent, drumming it into their ears the dangers inherent in the crime, but we want more from your agency, especially through the deployment of your intelligence gathering unit.

“We assure you of our cooperation and collaboration to stem the ugly tide. At the palace level, we are in constant touch with the Mogajis and Baales on the need to monitor their respective areas and ensure that all manners of crimes are exposed for proper sanction. We won’t relent.

“Making me Ambassador of your advocacy campaign is a welcome responsibility, which will permeate the entire traditional system,” the monarch added.

Earlier, Olayinka, who recalled that he assumed duty in Ibadan a few months ago, said the visit was to strengthen the existing relationship between the command and the palace.

He noted that the task before them was challenging and there’s no way they could do it alone without the involvement of the host communities.

“When we talk of the communities, we are talking about the community leaders, and this is how and why Your Imperial Majesty is involved.

“The agency is worried about the rate at which our youths abuse drugs. They have graduated from hemp smoking to others and more dangerous synthetic drugs that are now manufactured under various names like kolos, loud and all sorts of other names too numerous to mention, making the future look bleak for our youths, if care is not taken,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the efforts would positively impact on the general well-being of the citizenry and the image of the country.