NDLEA: Marwa enlists traditional rulers, parents in renewed fight against drug abuse

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has urged traditional rulers, parents and community leaders across the country to play a more active role in combating substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

Marwa made the appeal on Saturday during the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of the Towulade of Owu Akinale, Oba Oluseyi Ayodeji Adewole Adediran (Otileta I), held in Ogun state.

He said the battle against drug abuse cannot be won by law enforcement agencies alone, stressing that traditional institutions and families have a critical role in protecting young people from the dangers of illicit drugs.

According to him, drug abuse cuts across social and economic classes, making it imperative for parents to closely monitor their children, identify early signs of substance abuse and reinforce moral values at home.

Addressing young people, Marwa urged them to shun illicit drugs, warning that substance abuse only worsens life’s challenges instead of providing solutions.

He also called on the royal council and community leaders in Owu Akinale to establish grassroots anti-drug advocacy networks capable of discouraging drug trafficking while supporting individuals battling addiction.

The NDLEA chairman further raised concerns over the recent discovery of industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel in forest areas of Ogun and Oyo states.

He appealed to traditional rulers, particularly in rural communities, to be vigilant about activities within their domains, urging them to monitor strangers operating in forests and ensure proper background checks on individuals seeking to acquire farmlands.

Marwa, who described his attendance at the event as a mark of long-standing friendship and admiration for the monarch, praised Oba Adediran’s leadership, noting that the qualities he displayed as a youth leader continue to reflect in his reign.

The event attracted political office holders, traditional rulers and other distinguished guests from within and outside Ogun state.