Okpebholo, Oba of Benin pledge support for NDLEA’s war against drugs

By Adebola Muili

Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, have pledged their support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its efforts to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.

According to a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the two leaders gave the assurance when the agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), led his team on a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy visit to Benin City.

Receiving Marwa and his delegation at the Government House, Benin City, Governor Okpebholo described the fight against drug abuse as a collective responsibility, noting that illicit drugs were responsible for a significant proportion of criminal activities in the country.

He said the involvement of governments, traditional institutions and other stakeholders was necessary to address the menace, adding that his administration was prepared to support the NDLEA in carrying out its responsibilities.

“There is the need for everyone to get involved and support the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, because 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.

Okpebholo commended the NDLEA command in Edo State for its operations and assured the agency of his administration’s continued cooperation.

“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 added.

In his response, Marwa commended the governor for his developmental efforts and commitment to tackling illicit drugs in the state, describing his position as important to the success of the national campaign.

He explained that a major objective of his visit was to secure the governor’s support for the NDLEA’s Alternative Development Programme, an initiative designed to encourage cannabis farmers to abandon illicit cultivation for legitimate agricultural activities and sustainable livelihoods.

Marwa said the programme, introduced last year and piloted in Ondo State in January 2026, had recorded encouraging results, prompting the agency to extend it to Edo State.

He sought the governor’s support for the initiative, alongside additional logistics to strengthen the operational capacity of the NDLEA command in the state.

The governor was subsequently decorated as a WADA Grand Ambassador in recognition of his commitment to the campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

Marwa later visited the Oba of Benin at his palace, where he described drug abuse as one of the three major challenges confronting Nigeria, disclosing that more than 15 million Nigerians were involved in drug abuse, a prevalence rate about three times the global average.

He expressed concern that the menace had spread into schools and communities across the country, including the Benin Kingdom, stressing that the fight required the active participation of traditional rulers and other influential institutions.

Giving an account of the agency’s enforcement activities in Edo State, the NDLEA chairman disclosed that operatives arrested more than 1,200 drug traffickers and seized over 30 tonnes of illicit substances in the state in 2025.

He also revealed 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 substance was cultivated locally, with Edo among the states where such cultivation takes place.

Marwa said the NDLEA’s responsibility went beyond arresting and prosecuting drug traffickers, as the agency also provided counselling, treatment and rehabilitation for people struggling with drug addiction.

He, however, stressed that the agency could not effectively address the problem without the involvement of traditional rulers, religious institutions, civil society organisations, governments and the media.

“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.

“We need the traditional institutions, the church, CSOs, government and the media, because all hands must be on deck. Most importantly, the traditional institution, because there is no single institution in Nigeria today that commands the respect that the traditional institution has,” he said.

The NDLEA boss acknowledged the Oba’s contributions to the fight against social vices, particularly human trafficking and kidnapping, noting that the monarch’s interventions had helped reduce human trafficking in the Benin Kingdom.

He appealed to the traditional ruler to use his influence to discourage communities across the kingdom from cultivating and trading in illicit drugs, while also seeking his blessing and support for 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, adding that the programme had received the backing of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Federal Government as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Under the programme, cannabis farmers are encouraged to switch to legitimate crops such as cassava, yam and maize, with support from the Federal Government, state governments and the NDLEA through the provision of farm inputs and community infrastructure, including roads, schools, healthcare facilities and water supply.

He said the initiative was also aimed at addressing the economic circumstances that sustained illicit cannabis cultivation by providing farmers with alternative sources of livelihood.

“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,” Marwa said.

Responding, the Oba of Benin thanked the NDLEA chairman for the visit and recognition of the kingdom’s efforts in the campaign against drug abuse.

He assured Marwa of his interest in supporting the agency’s work, while disclosing that he had suggestions on ways to improve its operations.

The monarch, however, said he preferred to communicate his recommendations directly to the NDLEA chairman rather than make them public during the visit.

“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, and I will forward it directly to the Chairman for you to advise your formidable team,” he said.

As part of the WADA advocacy activities in Edo State, Marwa also met with leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, led by Comrade Saturday Oamen.

Addressing the transport union leaders, he urged them to mobilise their members and use their platforms to sensitise drivers and other transport workers on the dangers of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

He also called for their partnership with the agency to keep motor parks, roads and communities across the state free of illicit drugs.

Marwa was also scheduled to engage religious and civil society leaders as part of the agency’s continued advocacy campaign in the state.