Monday, August 11, 2025 - The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has called for collective action by families, religious leaders and community heads to combat the rising menace of drug abuse, cultism and banditry among Nigerian youths.
Marwa made the appeal on Saturday, August 9, 2025, while
delivering the keynote address at a seminar organised by the Ijebu Ode Council
of Oloritun in Ogun State. The event, themed ‘Dangers of drug abuse, cultism
and banditry among youths’, brought together traditional rulers, political
leaders, educators, parents and young people. He stressed that the interlinked
problems of drug abuse, cult-related violence and banditry required a united
response.
“Cultism, once largely confined to tertiary institutions,
has insidiously spread into secondary schools and neighbourhoods. What began as
secret gatherings has transformed into violent confraternities, often
manipulated by political or criminal interests,” Marwa said.
“These groups lure young people, often under the guise of
brotherhood, protection or empowerment, into a world of fear, violence and
premature death. Tragically, the hands of many of our youth have been stained
with the blood of their peers, all for false promises of belonging and power.”
Quoting United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
projections, Marwa noted that drug use in Africa is expected to rise by 40 per
cent, warning that Nigeria already ranks among countries with the highest
prevalence.
Despite the grim forecast, he said there was hope. “As a
nation and as communities, we still possess the power to reverse this trend.
The first step is collective responsibility. Parents, religious institutions,
traditional rulers, educational authorities and community leaders must rise
with one voice against these vices,” he said.
He emphasised that families must serve as the first moral
guide, schools must be safe spaces promoting discipline and mentorship, and
communities must provide opportunities for education, entrepreneurship, skills
acquisition and sports. “Idle hands, as we know, are the devil’s workshop,” he
said.
On NDLEA’s efforts, Marwa disclosed that in the past 54
months, the agency had arrested 67,345 traffickers, including 95 barons, with
12,415 now serving jail terms.
“The barons we have arrested are not anonymous people in
society. They include big business people and socialites, some of them with
chieftaincy titles, and also government officials, including those tasked with
maintaining law and order,” he said.
He added that more than 11.2 million kilogrammes of assorted
illicit drugs had been seized, while 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms, mainly
in the South-West, had been destroyed. In the same period, NDLEA conducted
11,584 sensitisation lectures in schools, workplaces, worship centres, motor
parks, traditional palaces and communities, treated 27,187 drug users in its 30
rehabilitation facilities, and provided psychosocial support to thousands via
its toll-free helpline.
Marwa urged communities to partner with the NDLEA, report
suspicious activities, and support grassroots security efforts. “Local
vigilante groups, properly trained and coordinated, can serve as the eyes and
ears of the community,” he said, adding that moral and spiritual values must be
restored to guide youths away from drugs and violence.
He commended the Ijebu Ode Council of Oloritun for its
commitment to youth development. “Let us rise as one people to rescue our
children, secure our streets and restore the values that once defined our
land,” he said.
Council Chairman, Chief Adebisi Adeola Alausa, said the
gathering reflected a united determination to protect the future of the
community. “We are gathered here not merely as individuals, but as a united
front: traditional leaders, government officials, parents, educators and
youths, to confront challenges that threaten the very fabric of our society,”
he said.
Chairman of the occasion, Senator Lekan Mustapha, described
Marwa as a visionary leader whose work had transformed the NDLEA into a
globally respected agency.
While in Ijebu Ode, Marwa paid a condolence visit to the
family of the late Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona.
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