Marwa Urges Traditional Rulers, Parents to Take Ownership of Fight Against Drug Abuse
Oru Leonard
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called on traditional rulers, parents and community leaders across Nigeria to take greater responsibility in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa made the appeal on Saturday while speaking as Chairman at the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of Oba Oluseyi Ayodeji Adewole Adediran, Otileta I, Towulade of Owu Akinale, held at Baptist Primary School, Owu Akinale, Ogun State.
Describing his attendance as “a pilgrimage of friendship, respect and deep-seated admiration,” Marwa reflected on his nearly two-decade relationship with the monarch, dating back to Oba Adediran’s days as leader of the Lisabi Youths. He praised the royal father’s leadership, saying the qualities he displayed as a youth leader continue to define his reign as the Towulade of Owu Akinale.
Shifting focus to the nation’s anti-drug campaign, the NDLEA Chairman warned that drug abuse cuts across all social classes and communities, stressing that no family is immune from its devastating effects. He urged parents to embrace responsible parenting by closely monitoring their children and identifying early signs of substance abuse.
Marwa also appealed directly to young Nigerians to reject illicit drugs, describing substance abuse as a deceptive escape that only worsens personal and societal challenges.
He further challenged the Royal Council and community leaders in Owu Akinale to establish community-based advocacy networks capable of discouraging drug trafficking while supporting individuals battling drug dependence. According to him, the war against illicit drugs cannot be won without the active involvement of traditional institutions that understand the realities facing young people in their communities.
Expressing concern over the recent discovery of industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel in the forests of Ogun and Oyo states, Marwa urged traditional rulers and community leaders, particularly in the Southwest, to be vigilant about activities in their forests and rural communities.
He advised that strangers seeking to acquire farmlands should be thoroughly screened to prevent criminal elements from using remote communities as bases for illicit drug production.
The ceremony attracted political leaders, eminent traditional rulers and other distinguished guests who joined the people of Owu Akinale in celebrating the community’s cultural heritage and the monarch’s first year on the throne.
