Human rights activist and the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, has condemned the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over its continued destruction of cannabis farms across Nigeria, describing the practice as economically wasteful and “idiotic.”

Sowore made the remarks in a post on X while criticising the agency for destroying cannabis plantations that he said could have significant economic value amid Nigeria’s worsening poverty and unemployment crisis.

“It is idiotic, [@ndlea_nigeria] wake up, put on uniforms, march into farms, and set economically viable crops worth millions of dollars ablaze while your country is drowning in multidimensional poverty,” Sowore wrote.

The AAC candidate accused the NDLEA of pursuing what he described as a “failed and outdated policy” instead of exploring the economic, medicinal and industrial potential of cannabis.“Stop destroying cannabis farms. Stop wasting enormous economic opportunities in the name of a failed and outdated policy,” he said.

Sowore further called for the legalisation and regulation of cannabis, arguing that the policy shift could create employment, generate government revenue and encourage investment in an emerging agricultural and industrial sector.

“Legalize and properly regulate cannabis. Invest in research, harness its legitimate medicinal and industrial potential, create jobs, generate revenue, and build an industry Nigerians can benefit from,” he said.

“You cannot burn your way out of poverty, foolish people!”

Sowore’s comments come amid continued NDLEA operations against cannabis cultivation across the country.

The Edo State Command of the NDLEA had destroyed two cannabis plantations with an estimated yield of 4,628.9 kilogrammes and arrested 10 suspected drug traffickers in separate operations across the state.

The state NDLEA Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the operations were carried out following credible intelligence.

Ofoyeju said operatives destroyed the cannabis farms located at Ugboku, Igbanke Forest, in the Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the state, while separate raids were conducted at drug flashpoints in Oluku, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, and Abuja Quarters in Oredo Local Government Area of Benin City.

He said the operations were conducted in line with the operational order of the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, to dislodge illicit drug locations across the country.

Following the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, his supporters on Monday, trooped into the local government secretariats and motor parks in the state in the bid to take over the leadership.

Before the election, supporters of the APC candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) had sacked Adeleke’s supporters from the motor parks and took control of the structures while Adeleke’s men were also ousted from the secretariats.

Adeleke’s supporters on Monday invaded the local government Secretariats to take over from officials elected on the platform of APC.

Recall that after losing the 2022 governorship election to Adeleke, former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola conducted local government election and swore in the new local government chairmen and councilors before he left the office.

After Adeleke’s swearing in in November 2022, he sent the local government chairmen and councilors away and appointed caretaker committees into the local government councils.

The matter became a subject of litigations with various courts giving contradictory rulings, leading to bloody clashes across the state in which several people were killed including the Chairman of Irewole Local Government, Ikire, Mr Remi Abass.

Adeleke conducted another local government election in February 2025 in which PDP swept the poll after APC boycott the election.

After their election, Adeleke swore in the new local government chairmen but restrained them from resuming work at the local government councils to prevent further clashes with the APC elected chairmen who were still occupying the local government councils.

Though the matter is still in court and both parties are awaiting court verdict to determine the legally recognized elected local government officials.

Adeleke said the APC elected officials had completed their terms but they insisted that their tenure was disrupted and prayed the court to determine their actual tenure.

The Federal High Court in Osogbo dismissed the case filed by APC elected officials on the tenure determination or extension but APC elected chairmen appealed the decision of the high court. The Appeal Court has not decided on the APC elected chairmen’s appeal.

The re-election of Adeleke for the second term on Saturday encouraged his supporters to invade the local government councils Secretariat to chase out APC elected chairmen and councilors for the PDP elected chairmen and councilors.

The Osun State Police Command warned that forceful takeover of local government could cause a breach of the peace and appealed to residents to be law-abiding.

The CP, Samuel Etaifo Erale, warned against forceful takeover and premises of local government secretariats in the state when the matter remains before the court.

He said, “The Police Command wishes to state clearly that no individual, political group, or association has the right to resort to self-help or the use of force to assume control of any local government area or public institution while judicial proceedings are ongoing.”

At the motor parks, the leadership is usually based on the faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) that supports the political party in control of the state.

Since Adeleke became the governor in 2022, the motor park leader loyal to him, Nuru Alowonle, was in control but the motor park leader loyal to the APC, Kazeem Oyewale and his team, invaded the motor parks a couple of weeks before the election and took over.

Alowonle succumbed because of heavy security presence in the state but eventually staged a comeback after the announcement of Adeleke as the winner of the Saturday governorship election.

The Lagos State Government has reiterated its prohibition on the permanent or everyday use of dealer number plates by motorists and vehicle dealers.

The Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola, said this in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.

Ogunlola warned motorists and vehicle dealers against using dealer number plates for purposes outside those permitted by law.

She said the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018, restricted dealer plates to specific, time-limited activities.

According to her, permitted uses include authorised test drives, vehicle inspections, vehicle delivery or collection, and movement of unregistered vehicles.

She said such movement must be directly from ports or authorised dealer premises to designated locations.

“Their use for private daily commuting, continuous operation on public roads, or on vehicles already sold is prohibited,” Ogunlola said.

She noted that the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) had apprehended 175 vehicles for violating regulations governing dealer number plates.

Ogunlola said the dealer plates recovered from the affected vehicles would be confiscated, while the vehicles would undergo further investigation.

She warned that vehicles operating with unauthorised, fake, obscured or improperly used registration numbers would face enforcement action.

According to her, sanctions include impoundment and prosecution under relevant traffic laws.