The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has called for a united front by families, religious bodies, and community leaders to combat the growing menace of drug abuse, cultism, and banditry among Nigerian youths.
Speaking on Saturday in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, while delivering a keynote address at a seminar organised by the Ijebu Ode Council of Olorituns, Marwa described the issues as “a cycle of destruction” that must be broken for society to thrive.
“While these problems may seem separate, they are deeply connected, each one fuelling the other,” Marwa said. “Cultism, once largely confined to universities, has crept into secondary schools and neighbourhoods, becoming violent confraternities manipulated by political and criminal interests. Young people are lured into these groups with false promises of protection and empowerment, only to end up in a world of fear, violence, and premature death.”
Warning that Nigeria already ranks among the countries with the highest drug use prevalence globally, Marwa cited projections indicating a potential 40 percent increase in drug use across Africa in the coming years.
He urged stakeholders to fortify family values, keep schools safe, and invest in youth-focused initiatives.
“The first step is collective responsibility,” he stressed. “Parents, religious institutions, traditional rulers, educators, and community leaders must stand together against these vices. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. When our youths find purpose through education, skills training, entrepreneurship, and sports, they are less likely to seek validation from drugs or cults.”
Highlighting NDLEA’s recent achievements, Marwa revealed that in the past 54 months, the agency arrested 67,345 drug offenders, including 95 drug barons, secured 12,415 convictions, seized over 11.2 million kilograms of illicit substances, destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms, and rehabilitated more than 27,000 drug users.
He commended the Ijebu Ode Council of Olorituns for the seminar, describing it as a model worth replicating nationwide. During his visit, he also paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
Council Chairman Chief Adebisi Adeola Alausa and Senator Lekan Mustapha, who chaired the occasion, lauded Marwa’s dedication to protecting youths and promoting moral values in Nigerian society.
