By Nkechi Eze
The Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, have pledged their support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
According to an official statement signed by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the two leaders declared their support on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, when the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), led his team on an advocacy visit to Benin City, Edo State.
Receiving the NDLEA chairman and his delegation at the Government House, Governor Okpebholo described illicit drugs as a major driver of criminal activities and called for collective action to address substance abuse and drug trafficking.
He noted that drug abuse was closely linked to crimes such as kidnapping, disclosing that kidnappers sometimes demand drugs from their victims before proceeding to demand ransom.
The governor commended the NDLEA command in Edo State for its operations and assured the agency of his administration’s continued partnership and support.
Marwa, in his remarks, commended Okpebholo for his developmental strides and commitment to tackling illicit drugs, while seeking his support for the agency’s Alternative Development Programme, designed to encourage cannabis farmers to abandon illicit cultivation for legitimate agricultural activities.
He explained that the programme, whose pilot phase was launched in Ondo State in January 2026, had recorded encouraging results, prompting plans to extend it to Edo State.
The NDLEA chairman also appealed for additional logistical support to strengthen the agency’s operations in the state.
The visit culminated in the decoration of Governor Okpebholo as a WADA Grand Ambassador in recognition of his commitment to the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
At the palace of the Oba of Benin, Marwa called for stronger collaboration with traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society groups and the media, describing the fight against drug abuse as a collective responsibility.
He disclosed that more than 15 million Nigerians abuse drugs, representing a prevalence rate about three times the global average, while warning that the menace had spread into schools and communities, including the Benin Kingdom.
Marwa further revealed that the NDLEA arrested more than 1,200 drug traffickers and seized over 30 tonnes of illicit substances in Edo State in 2025.
He added that cannabis accounted for 75 per cent of the 16 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances seized nationwide by the agency in the last five years, noting that Edo was among the states where the plant was cultivated.
The NDLEA chairman urged the Oba to mobilise communities across the Benin Kingdom against drug cultivation and trafficking and support the implementation of the Alternative Development Programme in the state.
He explained that the initiative would encourage cannabis farmers to cultivate legitimate crops such as cassava, yam and maize, with government support through farm inputs and community infrastructure, including roads, schools, clinics and water facilities.
Responding, Oba Ewuare II thanked the NDLEA chairman for recognising the contributions of the Benin Kingdom towards tackling drug abuse and other social challenges.
The monarch also disclosed that he had suggestions on ways to improve the agency’s operations, which he would communicate privately to the NDLEA chairman in writing.
As part of the WADA advocacy campaign, Marwa also met with leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Edo State, led by Comrade Saturday Oamen, urging them to mobilise their members against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
He also called on transport union leaders to partner with the NDLEA in keeping roads, motor parks and communities free of illicit drugs, while extending the advocacy to religious and civil society leaders in the state.
