Marwa Calls for United Front Against Drug Abuse, Cultism, Banditry

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brigadier General, Mohamed Buba-Marwa, has called for urgent collective action by families, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and community stakeholders to curb the growing menace of drug abuse, cultism, and banditry among Nigerian youths.

He stated this while speaking at a seminar by the Ijebu Ode Council of Olorituns themed Dangers of Drug Abuse, Cultism and Banditry Among Youths.

According to a statement on Saturday by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Marwa describes the three vices as “interlinked threats feeding one another in a cycle of destruction.”

He warns that cultism, once confined to tertiary institutions, has spread into secondary schools and neighbourhoods, while drug use in Africa is projected to rise by 40%, with Nigeria already ranking among the highest globally.

“As a nation and as communities, we still possess the power to reverse this trend. The first step is collective responsibility,” he said, urging the family unit to be strengthened as the first point of moral instruction and schools to remain safe spaces for discipline, mentorship, and awareness.

Marwa calls for greater investment in youth development through education, entrepreneurship, skills acquisition, and sports, noting that “idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

He also urges communities to partner with NDLEA, speak up against vices, report suspicious activities, and support advocacy efforts.

Outlining the agency’s efforts, he reveals that in the past 54 months, NDLEA had arrested 67,345 drug offenders, including 95 barons, seized over 11.2 million kilograms of illicit substances, and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms.

Within the same period, 27,187 drug users were treated and rehabilitated in NDLEA facilities across the country, while 11,584 sensitisation lectures were delivered in schools, workplaces, worship centres, and communities.

Marwa commends the Council of Olorituns for its initiative, stressing that law enforcement alone cannot end the scourge.

“We must rekindle the moral and spiritual fabric of our society and remind our youth that there is dignity in labour, pride in learning, and honour in integrity,” he said.

For the Council Chairman, Adebisi Adeola-Alausa, ha hail Marwa’s presence as a testament to his commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s youth.

Also, Senator Lekan Mustapha, praises his record of visionary leadership that has positioned NDLEA as a respected force both locally and internationally

During his visit to Ijebu Ode, Marwa also paid a condolence call on the family of the late Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona.