The Commander of the National Anti-Drug Agency, NDLEA, in Ogun State, CN Tijjani Rabe, has hit back at popular human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, for his criticism of the agency’s anti-drug operations.
Rabe affirmed that leadership cannot be built on insults against institutions that “sacrifice themselves daily for this country.”
Recall that Sowore, in a post on X on Tuesday, blamed the agency for destroying cannabis farms, describing it as an economically viable crop.
He called on the government to legalize and regulate the cultivation of the plant to harness its medicinal and industrial potential instead of destroying it.
He wrote: “It is idiotic for @ndlea_nigeria to wake up, put on uniforms, march on farms and burn millions of dollars worth of economically viable crops while their country drowns in multidimensional poverty.
“Stop destroying cannabis farms. Stop wasting enormous economic opportunities in the name of failed and outdated policy.”
The Narcotics Commander, in a statement on Wednesday, noted that while Sowore described the agency as foolish, Nigerians are witness to the track record of the NDLEA in the last five years.
According to him, the agency has made monumental seizures of illicit drugs and has prevented tons from reaching homes, schools, barracks and parking lots.
“The NDLEA did not wake up and decide to burn down farms for sport. We act on a clear mandate given to us by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“You cannot aspire to be commander in chief and at the same time denigrate the men and women who serve under that command,” Rabe said.
Beyond law enforcement, Rabe said the NDLEA has counseled and rehabilitated thousands of young Nigerians and dismantled transnational cartels that finance kidnapping, banditry and arms trafficking with drug profits.
Rabe argued that if Sowore disagrees with the law, the democratic path is to sponsor a bill to change it, not resort to abuse.
“If you don’t agree with the law, the democratic way is to sponsor a bill to change it. Don’t resort to abuse. The NDLEA, and indeed all law enforcement agencies, deserve better, especially from those who aspire to lead.
“Yes, we are dealing with poverty. But we are also dealing with addiction, mental illness and insecurity that illicit drugs make worse. We cannot solve one crisis by deepening another.
“Legalization without strong safety barriers, proper monitoring, prescription tracking, laboratories and rehabilitation centers will only expand the black market,” he said.
He cited Canada as an example, noting that even years after legalization, the country still struggles with a thriving illicit market.
Rabe said that with Nigeria’s current regulatory capacity, the situation would be much worse, adding that many of the “economically viable farms” Sowore refers to are controlled by armed networks linked to trafficking and violence.
“Legalizing now is giving legitimacy to those same networks. Poverty is not defeated by empowering the cartels,” said the head of the NDLEA.
Rabe said the government should first fund laboratories, rehabilitation centers and cooperatives so that any future cannabis industry is safe and sustainable.
“Until that basis exists, the NDLEA will continue to do what the law requires of us: prohibit, destroy and save lives. That is not ‘idiotic’, sir. It is a duty,” he said.
The commander added that while the agency would apologize for the tone, it remains grateful to the millions of Nigerians who support its work.