Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has appealed to traditional rulers and parents across the country to actively support efforts to curb drug 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 Adediran (Otileta I), in Ogun State.
‎
‎In a statement issued in Abuja by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Marwa described his attendance at the event as a mark of long-standing friendship, respect and admiration for the monarch.
‎
‎He recalled that his relationship with Oba Adediran dates back nearly 20 years to the monarch’s days as leader of the Lisabi Youths, praising him for maintaining the same dedication and leadership qualities that now define his reign.
‎
‎Addressing the issue of substance abuse, Marwa warned that drug addiction affects people regardless of their social status or location, stressing that no community is immune to the problem.
‎
‎He urged parents to become more involved in the lives of their children by paying close attention to their behaviour and identifying warning signs of drug use at an early stage.
‎
‎The NDLEA chairman also advised young Nigerians to avoid illicit drugs, describing substance abuse as a destructive habit that worsens challenges instead of providing relief.
‎
‎He further encouraged the royal council and residents of Owu Akinale to establish community-based anti-drug advocacy groups that would help prevent drug trafficking while supporting individuals battling addiction.
‎
‎According to him, the agency cannot effectively combat drug abuse without the active participation of traditional institutions, whose influence within communities makes them key partners in the campaign.
‎
‎Marwa’s remarks come in the wake of the recent discovery of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel in forest areas of Ogun and Oyo states.
‎
‎He therefore called on traditional rulers, particularly in the South-West and other parts of the country, to closely monitor activities in their communities, especially forests, and ensure that individuals seeking to acquire farmland in rural areas are properly screened before approval.