The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cautioned traditional rulers in Ondo State against selling land to individuals cultivating illicit drugs, particularly cannabis, within their domains.
The warning follows the arrest of 294 suspects in connection with drug-related offences in the first quarter of 2025. NDLEA Commandant, Nanzing Daniel Salah, expressed concerns that proceeds from these illegal farms are often used to finance criminal activities.
He noted that continued cultivation is severely damaging the state’s forests and natural resources, depleting land that could be used for food production.The agency destroyed 29,656 hectares of cannabis farms between January and June 2025.
The NDLEA seized 22,710.585 kilograms of various illicit drugs during the same period. The agency successfully rehabilitated 130 drug users and secured the conviction of 33 suspects. Salah lamented the complicity of some communities in shielding drug traffickers instead of assisting law enforcement.
The NDLEA has urged traditional institutions to stop selling land to drug cultivators, emphasizing the need to protect the state’s forests and natural resources.
