Chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has solicited the support of traditional rulers in the fight against drug abuse in Nigeria.

Marwa spoke at the palace of the Oba of Benin when he paid a courtesy call on the paramount ruler during his visit to Benin City.

The NDLEA boss, who said he was in the state on an assessment visit to the NDLEA state command and to address the Regimental Sergeant Majors Convention of the Nigerian Army, listed three major problems confronting Nigeria today, and identified drug abuse as one of them.

He said, “Over 15 million Nigerians are abusing drugs. This is three times the global average. It is a whole-of-society approach. We need the traditional institutions, the church, CSOs, the government, and the media, because all hands must be on deck. But most importantly, the traditional institutions.”

Marwa acknowledged the support of the Oba of Benin for “drug control and all the other maladies in our society,” disclosed that the NDLEA had introduced a new pillar in drug control in which, they approach communities that are cultivating cannabis.

“Of the 16 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances that we have seized in the last six years, 75% is cannabis because we cultivate it in Nigeria. And Edo State is also one of the states that cultivate.

So we have introduced alternative development as a strategic pillar, in which we are appealing to and persuading the growers of cannabis to desist from illicit cropping and plant cassava, yam, corn, and other licit substances.

“They themselves have confided in us that they are grateful for this initiative because even though there is more money in cannabis than these licit substances, at least they will have peace of mind when they cultivate. So this is the new strategy. We are the first in Africa with this strategy. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime has welcomed it.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria has welcomed it as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda for illicit croppers to move away from crime to licit businesses.”

In his response, Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, commended the NDLEA for its fight against illicit drugs and promised to offer the chairman his personal counsel on the fight.

Earlier, Marwa named Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo as the agency’s Grand Patron of the World Against Drugs and Substance Abuse.

Marwa announced the designation on Wednesday when he led a delegation of the agency on a courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Benin City, where he commended the state government’s commitment to drug abuse prevention and the fight against narcotics.