*…Governor pledges full support for agency and is decorated WADA Grand Ambassador; monarch seeks stronger collaboration as Marwa mobilises transport unions, religious leaders against substance abuse*
By Henry Ihimekpen
The Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, have pledged their support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)’s campaign against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, as the agency moves to replace cannabis cultivation with alternative livelihoods in the state.
The two leaders gave the assurances on Wednesday in Benin City when the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), led the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign to Edo State. At separate meetings with the governor and the traditional ruler, Marwa called for stronger involvement of political, traditional and religious institutions in tackling drug abuse, warning that the scale of the problem required a coordinated, whole-of-society response.
Receiving the NDLEA delegation at Government House, Okpebholo described illicit drugs as a major driver of criminality and urged Nigerians to take collective responsibility for tackling the menace. “At the root of virtually every crime is the issue of drugs. From our experience, even kidnappers first ask their victims for drugs before demanding ransom. That shows that illicit drug is our enemy,” the governor said. He commended the NDLEA command in Edo for its operations and pledged his administration’s support for the agency. “Your officers and men in Edo are doing excellent work. We are ready to work with you, we are ready to partner with you, and we are ready to support you with any request you bring before us,” he said.
The governor was subsequently decorated as a WADA Grand Ambassador in recognition of his commitment to the campaign against drug abuse and trafficking. Marwa, who commended Okpebholo’s administration for its developmental efforts and position on drug control, said the visit was also aimed at securing the state’s support for the NDLEA’s Alternative Development Programme. The initiative, introduced last year, seeks to persuade cannabis farmers to abandon illicit cultivation for legitimate agricultural activities capable of providing sustainable livelihoods. Marwa said the programme’s pilot phase, launched in Ondo State in January, had recorded encouraging results, prompting plans to extend it to Edo, one of the states associated with cannabis cultivation. He sought the governor’s support for the initiative, alongside additional logistics to strengthen the agency’s operations in Edo.
At the palace of the Oba of Benin, Marwa described drug abuse as one of the three leading challenges confronting Nigeria, disclosing that more than 15 million Nigerians were involved in drug abuse, a prevalence rate he said was about three times the global average. He warned that substance abuse had spread into schools and communities, including the Benin Kingdom, making the involvement of traditional institutions critical to reversing the trend. Marwa disclosed that the NDLEA arrested more than 1,200 suspected drug traffickers and seized over 30 tonnes of illicit substances in Edo State last year. He added that cannabis accounted for 75 per cent of the 16 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances seized nationwide by the agency in the last five years, noting that the plant was cultivated locally, with Edo among the producing states.
“It is the job of the NDLEA to enforce the law against drug trafficking, and as well help those who are addicted to drugs with counselling, treatment and rehabilitation. But this is an assignment that we cannot do alone. It is a whole-of-society approach,” he said. He identified traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society groups, governments and the media as essential partners, stressing that traditional rulers were particularly influential because of the respect they commanded in their communities. The NDLEA chairman also acknowledged the Oba’s interventions against social problems, including kidnapping and human trafficking, saying the monarch’s efforts had helped reduce human trafficking in the kingdom. He appealed to the monarch to encourage communities under his domain to abandon cannabis cultivation and trading and embrace the Alternative Development Programme.
Explaining the initiative, Marwa said Nigeria was the first country in Africa to adopt alternative development as a strategic pillar of drug control, an approach he said had received the endorsement of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Under the programme, cannabis farmers are encouraged to cultivate legitimate crops such as cassava, yam and maize, with support from the federal and state governments and the NDLEA through farm inputs and community infrastructure, including roads, schools, clinics and water facilities. He said the initiative was designed to address the economic realities that sustained illicit cultivation by offering farmers viable alternatives. “The growers themselves have confided in us that they are grateful for this initiative. Even though there is more money in cannabis, they will at least have peace of mind when they cultivate licit crops. With cannabis, they are perpetually ill at ease in their homes with their families for fear of NDLEA,” he said.
Responding, the Oba thanked the NDLEA chairman for recognising the contributions of the Benin Kingdom and its efforts against drug abuse. He also disclosed plans to forward a written proposal to the agency on ways to improve its operations. “I have a suggestion that I will make in writing to NDLEA. I would not want to state it here in public. I want to put it quietly as my own thinking on how to improve the work of NDLEA,” the monarch said.
As part of the advocacy campaign, Marwa also met with leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Edo State, led by Comrade Saturday Oamen, urging them to mobilise their members against substance abuse and drug trafficking. He called on transport operators to use their networks and influence to sensitise drivers and other members, particularly within motor parks, and collaborate with the agency to keep roads and communities free of illicit drugs. Marwa was also scheduled to engage religious and civil society leaders as the advocacy campaign continues in the state.
