Marwa Storms Edo, Declares Total War on Illicit Drugs

​The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has officially declared total war on drug abuse and illicit trafficking in Edo State, calling for an urgent, all-hands-on-deck societal approach to dismantle criminal drug networks.

​Speaking in Benin City during a high-level interactive stakeholder engagement, Marwa emphasized that while the NDLEA remains the vanguard of drug law enforcement, the pervasive nature of substance abuse requires active collaboration from every segment of society. The intensified campaign follows high-profile backing from Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, and the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, both of whom stressed that illicit narcotics serve as the primary catalyst for violent crimes like kidnapping and banditry.

​Highlighting the scope of the strategy, Marwa noted that the agency is aggressively pursuing community-level interventions. This includes partnering with traditional rulers, religious bodies such as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Islamic Council, and civil society groups to sensitize the grassroots. Furthermore, the NDLEA has engaged transport unions—directing the National Union of Road Transport Workers to weed out the sale of alcohol and illicit substances across motor parks—while pushing for alternative farming initiatives to steer rural communities away from illicit cannabis cultivation.

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​Marwa urged parents, school administrators, and guardians to embrace early detection and counselling without stigma, reiterating that conquering the drug monster is vital to securing the future of the nation’s youth and restoring public safety.