The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says terrorists and kidnappers are increasingly residing within cannabis-growing communities, using remote farmlands as operational bases.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Major-General Buba Marwa, stated this on Monday in Akure during a visit to Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, ahead of the commencement of the Alternative Development Project in the state.
Marwa explained that the initiative was designed to discourage illicit drug cultivation by offering alternative livelihoods to peasant farmers, while continuing the agency’s enforcement mandate.
According to him, intelligence reports have shown that criminal groups prefer to settle in areas where drugs are readily available, particularly deep forest cannabis farms.
He said Nigeria’s drug use prevalence remains unacceptably high, with an estimated 15 million users aged between 15 and 64, based on the 2018 United Nations survey.
Marwa noted that Ondo State would serve as the starting point for the Alternative Development Project, citing its high drug use rate of 17 per cent and its status as the country’s leading cannabis-producing state.
He revealed that over the past five years, the NDLEA had seized more than 15,000 tonnes of illicit substances nationwide, over 75 per cent of which was cannabis sativa, and secured the conviction of 128 major drug traffickers.
In 2025 alone, he said the NDLEA in Ondo State arrested 336 suspects, secured 62 convictions, seized 22,316 kilogrammes of illicit drugs and destroyed more than 207,000 kilogrammes of cannabis from plantations.
Marwa added that the agency operates a counselling and rehabilitation centre in the state, where 243 individuals have received treatment.
He said the NDLEA was shifting towards a more balanced approach, combining enforcement with alternative development strategies to address the root causes of illicit drug cultivation.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, in his remarks, praised the NDLEA boss for spearheading the initiative and assured the agency of the state government’s full support in combating illicit drugs.
