The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has called on traditional rulers and community leaders to thoroughly scrutinise individuals seeking to purchase farmlands in rural areas to stop drug cartels from setting up clandestine laboratories.
Marwa said the appeal followed the recent uncovering of industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratories allegedly run by a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel in forest locations across Ogun and Oyo states.
This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, Marwa made the remarks during the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of the Towulade of Owu Akinale, Oba Oluseyi Adediran.
Addressing the gathering, the NDLEA boss urged traditional rulers and community leaders, particularly in the South-West, to be more vigilant by monitoring the activities of unfamiliar individuals in their communities and forest areas.
He stressed that proper background checks should be carried out on anyone seeking to acquire farmland in rural communities to ensure criminal groups do not exploit remote locations for illegal drug manufacturing.
“Royal fathers and community leaders in the South-West and the country as a whole must pay attention to activities of strangers in their forests. Also, those seeking to buy farmlands in rural communities must be properly vetted,” he said.
Marwa also appealed to traditional institutions, parents and community leaders nationwide to work closely with the NDLEA in combating substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
He noted that drug abuse affects people across different social and economic backgrounds, urging parents to pay closer attention to their children and recognise early warning signs of substance abuse.
The NDLEA chairman further advised young people to avoid illicit drugs, describing substance abuse as a deceptive escape that ultimately deepens personal and societal challenges.
He encouraged the royal council and community leaders in Owu Akinale to establish community-based advocacy groups that would discourage drug trafficking while providing support for individuals struggling with substance dependence.
Marwa emphasised that the agency’s campaign against illicit drugs would only succeed with the active involvement of traditional institutions, noting that they are well placed to influence young people and mobilise grassroots support.
The event attracted political leaders, traditional rulers and other distinguished guests.
