Marwa Warns Traditional Rulers After Discovery of Drug Cartels’ Meth Labs in Southwest Forests
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has called on traditional rulers, parents and community leaders to take ownership of Nigeria’s war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, warning that criminal drug syndicates are increasingly exploiting rural communities and forests for illegal operations.
Marwa’s appeal comes amid growing concerns over the recent discovery of industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by Nigerian-Mexican drug cartels in the forests of Ogun and Oyo states.
Speaking on Saturday at the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of the Towulade of Owu Akinale, Oba Oluseyi Ayodeji Adewole Adediran (Otileta I), in Ogun State, the NDLEA chairman urged royal fathers across the country to become active partners in efforts to prevent drug traffickers from infiltrating their communities.
He specifically charged traditional rulers and community leaders to monitor activities in forests and rural settlements and to thoroughly scrutinise individuals seeking to acquire farmlands, warning that criminal organisations are increasingly using isolated locations to establish illicit drug production facilities.
Marwa said the recent discovery of methamphetamine laboratories in the South-West underscored the need for vigilance at the grassroots level.
He stressed that the fight against drug abuse could not be won by law enforcement agencies alone, insisting that traditional institutions remained critical because of their close relationship with local communities and their understanding of youth dynamics.
According to him, royal councils should establish community-based advocacy networks that would not only make their domains hostile to drug traffickers but also provide support and rehabilitation pathways for persons battling substance dependence.
Marwa also appealed to parents to return to the core values of responsible parenting by paying closer attention to their children’s behaviour and identifying early warning signs of substance abuse before addiction takes root.
Addressing young people, he warned that illicit drugs offer only a false sense of escape, arguing that substance abuse compounds life’s challenges instead of solving them.
“Drug abuse does not discriminate,” he said, noting that the menace affects people regardless of their social status, age or location.
The NDLEA boss described his visit to Akinale as “a pilgrimage of friendship, respect and deep-seated admiration,” recalling that his relationship with the monarch dated back nearly two decades to the period when Oba Adediran served as leader of the Lisabi Youths.
He commended the monarch’s leadership qualities, saying the dedication and commitment he displayed as a youth leader had continued to define his reign since ascending the throne of Owu Akinale a year ago.
