The Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, has urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to undertake a study into the medical importance of cannabis, instead of instantly destroying it once seized from drug traffickers.
The Oba who made the call yesterday when Edo State Commander of NDLEA, led by its State Commander, Alumona Obioma, paid a courtesy visit to his Palace, said the study could lead to breakthrough in treatment and cure of certain diseases.
He challenged the NDLEA and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) under the Ministry of Health, to look beyond illicit drug seizures and destruction in fighting drug related crimes like it is done in other crimes, including Israel and the United States of America.
He also drew the NDLEA’s attention to unauthorized sales of prohibited drugs sold in medicine stores, pharmaceutical companies and other drug cartels in Nigeria.
The revered monarch, while recalling how he brought his innovation to bear in laundering Nigeria’s image in Rome as Nigeria’s Ambassador, and dismantled prostitution and the menace of Human Trafficking, promised to leverage his diplomatic experience in leading advocacy against drug crimes, pledging the support of the traditional institution for NDLEA.
“In Israel, they study the use of cannabis. They have an industry for producing cannabis for medical use. I do not know if they have developed that in Nigeria’s health sector.
“You may wish to look into that proposal whereby we can have a medical use of cannabis. It can cure a whole lot of things, according to the Israelis,” he said.
Earlier, the State Commander of NDLEA, Alumona Obioma, paid tribute to the Oba of Benin for his timely intervention in critical issues and solicited prayers to protect the agency’s personnel from harm’s way and make them achieve their mandate in Nigeria.
He lamented the deplorable roads network and the logistics challenge that are frustrating NDLEA operatives in fighting drug crimes, adding that people’s involvement in drug sales and use fuel social vices, including drug addiction, internet fraud, cultism and ritual murder.
“We cannot fold our arms. We must bring them back. Our parents taught us well. But, these ones are trying to show us that they were not taught like our parents.
“So, it is our collective duty to reach out to our people. Reach out to them on the danger of drug crime. Between March and Now, we have about five drug users that went through our rehabilitation home.
“My problem is, most of the time we comb the bushes, our men will move around in the night. Now, when you reach a certain place, the cars cannot move. They (NDLEA operatives) have to trek for 2 hours to destroy illicit drug farms,” he said.
