ICYMI: 67,345 drug traffickers arrested, 95 barons jailed in four and a half years, says Marwa

Buba Marwa, chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says the agency arrested 67,345 drug traffickers in the past four years and six months.

A statement released on Saturday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said 95 drug barons and 12,415 other offenders are currently serving various jail terms.

Speaking at the Ijebu Ode Council of Olorituns in Ogun state, Marwa noted that the jailed barons include prominent figures in society.

“They include big businesspeople and socialites—some with chieftaincy titles—and also government officials, including those tasked with maintaining law and order. That tells how deeply the rot had eaten into the fabric of our society,” he said.

According to Marwa, the agency has confiscated more than 11.2 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis plantations during the period, most of them in southwest states.

He said such farmlands, which could have been used for legitimate cash crops, were being cultivated for cannabis on a large scale.

The NDLEA boss added that the agency is scaling up its Drug Demand Reduction programmes, including school outreach campaigns, community sensitisation, and rehabilitation services.

“We have conducted 11,584 sensitisation lectures in schools, workplaces, worship centres, motor parks, palaces of traditional rulers, and communities,” Marwa said.

“In the same period, 27,187 drug users have been treated and rehabilitated in our 30 rehab facilities across the country, in addition to thousands who have benefitted from psychosocial support via our toll-free helpline: 080010203040.”

He called for collective grassroots advocacy to curb cultism, drug abuse, and violence.

“We cannot do it alone. We need communities like Ijebu-Ode to partner with us, to speak up, report suspicious activities, and support our advocacy drives,” the NDLEA boss added.

“Security architecture must be enhanced at the grassroots level. Properly trained and coordinated vigilante groups can work closely with law enforcement to disrupt cult gatherings and prevent violent incidents.

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

“The path to greatness is not paved with violence and drugs but with hard work, vision, and purpose.”