In a bold move to curb the spread of drug activities in Ondo State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a strong caution to traditional rulers: stop handing over land to those involved in the cultivation of illegal substances.
This warning comes after the agency apprehended nearly 300 individuals linked to narcotics between January and March 2025. The state commander, Nanzing Daniel Salah, speaking from the NDLEA office in Akure, expressed deep concern about the increasing number of cannabis farms sprouting in forests under the authority of monarchs and other traditional leaders.
According to Salah, these farms are not just harming the environment but are also bankrolling criminal networks across the state. “When you sell land to these cultivators, you are indirectly empowering crime,” he said. “These forests are being destroyed, and fertile lands that could be used for food are instead growing drugs.”
Salah revealed that the agency, with the help of other security outfits, had taken down over 29,000 hectares of cannabis plantations and confiscated more than 22,000 kilograms of illegal drugs in just the first half of the year.
He didn’t stop there. The NDLEA boss criticized some local communities for allegedly protecting offenders rather than helping the agency track them down. He emphasized that cooperation from locals is critical in dismantling the drug networks thriving in rural areas.
Still, it’s not all grim. Salah proudly noted that 130 users had completed rehabilitation during the same period, and the courts handed down convictions to 33 offenders. Five vehicles connected to trafficking activities were also seized and forfeited to the government.
As the war on drugs intensifies in Ondo, the NDLEA is sending a clear message: monarchs and communities alike must choose between protecting their lands or enabling the spread of drug.
