The Chairman of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called on traditional rulers, parents and community leaders to intensify efforts against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, saying stronger community partnerships are vital to protecting public health and national security.
Marwa made the appeal on Saturday, July 25, 2026, while chairing the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of Oba Oluseyi Ayodeji Adewole Adediran, Otileta I, Towulade of Owu Akinale, at Baptist Primary School in Owu Akinale, Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria.
Describing his attendance as “a pilgrimage of friendship, respect, and deep-seated admiration,” Marwa recalled a relationship with the monarch spanning nearly two decades. He said he had known Oba Adediran since his days as leader of the Lisabi Youths and praised the monarch’s leadership, noting that the qualities he displayed as a youth leader now shape his reign.
Shifting to the NDLEA’s anti-drug mission, Marwa warned that substance abuse cuts across social and economic boundaries, affecting both wealthy and poor families in urban and rural communities. He urged parents to strengthen supervision of their children and remain alert to early behavioural changes that could indicate drug use.
He also appealed directly to young people to reject illicit drugs, describing substance abuse as a false escape that worsens personal and social challenges instead of resolving them.
Traditional institutions urged to expand anti-drug advocacy
Marwa called on the Royal Council and community leaders in Owu Akinale to establish community-based advocacy networks to deter drug traffickers and support people struggling with substance dependence.
He said the NDLEA could not defeat drug trafficking and abuse alone, stressing that traditional institutions and monarchs possess deep knowledge of their communities and play a crucial role in influencing young people and promoting public awareness.
The NDLEA, Nigeria’s lead agency for combating drug trafficking and abuse, has increasingly sought partnerships with local communities as part of its strategy to reduce drug demand and disrupt criminal networks.
Marwa linked his appeal to the recent discovery of industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel in forested areas of Ogun and Oyo states.
He urged traditional rulers and community leaders across southwestern Nigeria and the rest of the country to monitor activities in forests and rural communities more closely. He also advised them to ensure that prospective buyers of farmland undergo proper scrutiny before land transactions are approved.
Political leaders, traditional rulers and other dignitaries attended the anniversary celebration, which combined cultural festivities with renewed calls for stronger community action against drug abuse and organised crime.
