The Dein of Agbor, His Royal Majesty Benjamin Ikenchuku Gbenoba has extended invitation to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to flush out drug dealers and their activities from his kingdom. 

The monarch said his desire to bring NDLEA into his kingdom is to eliminate the activities of drug dealers and protect his people from the devastating effects of illicit substances destroying the lives of youths and adults. 

He said his partnership with NDLEA is to send a strong message to drug dealers that their time is up in his kingdom, stressing that every drug dealer doesn't want their children to take hard drugs.

He, however, noted that they don't mind their neighbours taking such drugs, which he described as destructive. 

Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA in a statement on Friday said the monarch met with the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) to seek partnership with the anti-narcotic agency.

The statement quoted the monarch as saying, “We've been having some issues with drug dealers in Agbor. We've tried to handle it once or twice, but we'd like to at least be able to provide some land to have NDLEA come to Agbor. My main hope is Gen. Marwa right here. 

"Everything he touches turns to gold. Since he came on board at NDLEA, you people were reinvigorated. And I have seen that since he came on board, the drug dealers are now more hesitant, and we need more of that. 

“So, we continue to learn from his experience and continue to make sure that this agency is strengthened as much as we can.

“I always try to tell criminals, that life is left and right, good and bad, up and down. If you are intelligent enough to be selling drugs, then you deserve to go to jail. 

“You deserve to be incarcerated because that intelligence can also lead you to be selling houses or to be selling goods. 

"Do something that doesn't affect people negatively. Because every drug dealer doesn't want their children taking these hard drugs. But they don't mind their neighbour next door taking such drugs. It is destroying us as a nation. 

“Kidnappers are now using these illicit drugs to go about their nefarious activities. The reduction of it in our society will bring down the crime rate, robberies, and so on. So, my message to the drug dealers, beware, you are on notice; we do not want you in Agbor; we do not want you in our country."

The monarch also advised those abusing illicit drugs, saying, “For those who are taking drugs, once you have taken them, it is a life-or-death decision you are making. You can take it for the first time, and you can die. You destroy your family, and you destroy the people around you.”

“So, as much as possible, choose life over death on these drugs,” he added.

On his part, the NDLEA boss, Buba Marwa, while welcoming the monarch to his office, expressed the readiness of the agency to collaborate with all stakeholders including traditional rulers and community gatekeepers to ensure that the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking is stamped out from communities across the country.