Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State and the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, have declared full support for the ongoing national campaign against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
The two leaders spoke on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, when the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), took the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy to Benin City.
Receiving Marwa and his team at Government House, Benin City, Governor Okpebholo said he had long admired the NDLEA boss.
He stressed that the fight against drugs must be everybody’s business, because illicit drugs lie at the root of most crimes.
“There is the need for everyone to get involved and support the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, because at the root of virtually every crime is the issue of drugs. From our experience, even kidnappers first ask their victims for drugs before demanding ransom. That shows that illicit drug is our enemy,” he said.
The governor commended the NDLEA command in the state and pledged his government’s backing.
“Your officers and men in Edo are doing excellent work. We are ready to work with you, we are ready to partner with you, and we are ready to support you with any request you bring before us,” he assured.
In his remarks, Marwa commended Okpebholo for the developmental strides recorded across the state and lauded his firm stance against illicit drugs.
He explained that the visit was centred on the agency’s Alternative Development Programme, introduced last year to switch cannabis growers from illicit cropping to licit crops and sustainable livelihoods.
According to him, the pilot phase launched in Ondo State in January this year has yielded impressive results, hence the decision to launch the next phase in Edo State. He sought the governor’s buy-in and more logistics support for NDLEA operations in the state.
The high point of the visit was the decoration of Governor Okpebholo as a WADA Grand Ambassador, in recognition of his commitment to the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
Marwa and his team later paid homage to the Oba of Benin at his palace, where he described the drug scourge as one of the three leading problems confronting Nigeria today.
He noted that over 15 million Nigerians abuse drugs, a prevalence rate about three times the global average, and that the problem has crept into schools and communities across the country, including the Benin Kingdom.
He disclosed that last year alone, the agency arrested over 1,200 drug traffickers and seized more than 30 tons of illicit substances in Edo State, while of the 16 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances seized nationwide in the last five years, 75 percent was cannabis cultivated locally, with Edo among the cultivating states.
“It is the job of the NDLEA to enforce the law against drug trafficking, and as well help those who are addicted to drugs with counselling, treatment and rehabilitation. But this is an assignment that we cannot do alone. It is a whole-of-society approach. We need the traditional institutions, the church, CSOs, government and the media, because all hands must be on deck,” Marwa said.
He sought the Oba’s blessing for communities across the kingdom to stay away from drug cultivation and trading, and for the Alternative Development Programme.
Explaining the programme, Marwa said Nigeria is the first country in Africa to adopt alternative development as a strategic pillar of drug control, an approach welcomed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, and endorsed by the Federal Government as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Under the scheme, cannabis growers are persuaded to switch to crops such as cassava, yam and maize, with support in the form of farm inputs and community infrastructure such as roads, schools, clinics and water supply.
“The growers themselves have confided in us that they are grateful for this initiative. Even though there is more money in cannabis, they will at least have peace of mind when they cultivate licit crops,” he said.
Responding, the Oba of Benin thanked the NDLEA Chairman for the visit and for recognising the efforts of the kingdom in fighting drug abuse.
He said he had a suggestion on how to improve the work of the agency, which he preferred to communicate privately in writing to the Chairman.
As part of the advocacy, Marwa also held separate meetings with leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in the state led by Comrade Saturday Oamen, urging them to sensitise members against drug abuse and partner with NDLEA to keep roads, motor parks and communities free of illicit drugs.
