Stop Leasing, Selling Land for Cannabis Cultivation – NDLEA Warns Ondo Monarchs
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a stern warning to traditional rulers in Ondo State, urging them to desist from leasing or selling land to individuals involved in the cultivation of illicit drugs, particularly cannabis.
This caution comes in the wake of the arrest of 294 suspects linked to drug-related offences in the first half of 2025.
Addressing journalists at the agency’s command headquarters in Akure, the NDLEA State Commandant, Mr. Nanzing Daniel Salah, revealed that numerous cannabis plantations had been uncovered within forest areas owned or overseen by traditional institutions.
Salah raised the alarm over the link between illicit drug cultivation and rising insecurity, stating that proceeds from these farms are often used to finance criminal operations. He also decried the environmental impact of cannabis farming, which he said is depleting the state’s forest reserves and reducing land availability for food cultivation.
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“Traditional institutions must stop the practice of selling land to drug cultivators,” he warned. “These lands, often located in forests, are used for cannabis plantations, and the income from this trade fuels various crimes. Worse still, such activities severely degrade our natural resources and contribute to food scarcity by taking away arable land from food production.”
The NDLEA commandant disclosed that, between January and June 2025, the agency—working with other security outfits—destroyed over 29,656 hectares of cannabis farms and seized approximately 22,710.6 kilograms of assorted illicit substances.
Salah expressed concern over what he described as the complicity of some local communities, accusing them of protecting drug traffickers and hindering the agency’s efforts by withholding useful intelligence.
Despite these challenges, the NDLEA, according to him, made notable progress in which 130 drug users were rehabilitated, 33 suspects were convicted, and fve vehicles were forfeited to the federal government.
The NDLEA continues to intensify efforts across Ondo and other states in combating the cultivation, abuse, and trafficking of narcotics, while calling on traditional institutions and community stakeholders to play active roles in this fight.
By PRNigeria
