The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.), has called on traditional rulers and community leaders to carefully screen people seeking to buy farmlands in rural areas.

He said this is necessary to stop drug cartels from setting up secret laboratories in forests.

Marwa made the appeal during the 10th Akinale Day celebration and the first coronation anniversary of the Towulade of Owu Akinale in Ogun State. He noted that recent discoveries of large methamphetamine labs in Ogun and Oyo forests, allegedly run by a Nigerian-Mexican cartel, made the warning urgent.

He urged royal fathers, especially in the South-West, to monitor the activities of strangers in their communities and forests. Prospective land buyers in rural areas must be properly vetted to prevent criminals from using isolated locations for illegal drug production.

The NDLEA boss also asked traditional institutions, parents, and community leaders to partner with the agency in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking. He advised parents to watch their children closely for early signs of substance use and encouraged youths to avoid illicit drugs.

Marwa stressed that the agency cannot win the war against drugs without the support of traditional rulers, who understand local communities better.

He called for community-based networks that would make towns unfriendly to drug traffickers while helping people struggling with addiction.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper