The Ogun State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Tijjani Rabe, has responded sharply to Omoyele Sowore after the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate criticised the agency for destroying cannabis farms.
Rabe said those seeking political leadership should not undermine law enforcement agencies with insults, particularly institutions whose personnel, he said, make daily sacrifices in the service of the country.
Sowore had criticised the NDLEA in a post on X on Tuesday, arguing that cannabis has significant economic, medicinal and industrial value. He called on the Federal Government to stop destroying the farms and instead legalise and regulate cultivation to create economic opportunities.
Responding on Wednesday, Rabe defended the agency’s operations, saying the NDLEA acts under the authority of Nigerian law. He also pointed to the agency’s drug seizures over the past five years, arguing that its operations have prevented large quantities of illicit substances from reaching homes, schools, barracks and motor parks.
“NDLEA did not wake up and decide to set farms ablaze for sport. We act on a clear mandate given to us by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Rabe said. He added that it was contradictory for someone seeking to become Commander-in-Chief to disparage the officers who would ultimately serve under such leadership.
Rabe also highlighted the NDLEA’s rehabilitation and enforcement work, saying the agency has counselled and rehabilitated thousands of young Nigerians while dismantling transnational drug networks. He linked proceeds from the illicit drug trade to crimes including kidnapping, banditry and arms trafficking.
On Sowore’s call for cannabis legalisation, the NDLEA commander argued that Nigeria is not yet equipped with the regulatory systems needed to manage such a market safely. He said legalisation without effective tracking, prescription monitoring, laboratories and rehabilitation centres could strengthen the black market rather than eliminate it.
Rabe cited Canada as an example, saying the country continues to face an illicit cannabis market despite legalisation. He further claimed that some of the cannabis farms described by Sowore as economically viable are controlled by armed networks involved in trafficking and violence, warning that immediate legalisation could give such groups greater legitimacy.
The commander said the government should first invest in laboratories, rehabilitation centres and cooperatives before considering a regulated cannabis industry. Until then, he said, the NDLEA would continue enforcing existing laws through drug interdiction and the destruction of illegal cannabis farms.
“Until that foundation exists, NDLEA will continue to do what the law demands of us: interdict, destroy, and save lives. That is not ‘idiotic’, Sir. That is duty,” Rabe said.
