The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has declared that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for drug trafficking and related criminal enterprises.
Marwa said this on Tuesday in Abuja during the 11th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Awards and Commendation ceremony held at the agency’s national headquarters, where he reeled out what he described as unprecedented achievements recorded in the last five years.
According to the NDLEA boss, the agency recorded a total of 77,792 arrests, including 128 major drug barons, between 2021 and 2026, while securing 14,225 convictions within the same period.
“When I first resumed in 2021, I promised to take the fight to the doorsteps of the merchants of death. Today, the numbers speak for themselves,” Marwa said.
He added that the agency seized over 14.8 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, a development he said had significantly disrupted both local and transnational drug supply chains.
“In the last five years, we arrested 77,792 drug offenders, including 128 identified drug barons who were central to major trafficking networks. We also seized a total of 14,847,486.34 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs,” he stated.
Beyond enforcement, Marwa said the agency intensified efforts in drug demand reduction through rehabilitation and advocacy.
He disclosed that 32,442 drug users benefitted from treatment, counselling and rehabilitation programmes, while 13,735 War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities were carried out nationwide.
“These interventions covered schools, motor parks, workplaces, worship centres and communities, expanding preventive awareness and citizen engagement,” he said.
Marwa attributed the successes to the support of the executive, legislature and judiciary, singling out President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for special appreciation.
“These achievements are not accidental. They are the result of discipline, leadership, intelligence-led operations and clear performance expectations,” he said.
He added that the President’s decision to extend the current leadership’s mandate was a call to intensify the war against drug abuse and trafficking.
“Mr President’s decision to extend our mandate is a call to more work. We assure him and all Nigerians that the successes of the past five years are merely a foundation,” Marwa stated.
Charging officers and men of the agency to brace for tougher operations ahead, Marwa warned that the next phase would require greater tactical sophistication.
He said, “We will not rest until every drug baron is behind bars, every trafficker is intercepted, every mule is caught and every single gram of illicit drugs is removed from our streets.
“There is no room for complacency. We must remain proactive, intelligence-led and ruthless in our pursuit of those who seek to destroy our youth and national security.”
The 11th CCEO Awards ceremony honoured NDLEA personnel who demonstrated exceptional courage, integrity and professionalism in the line of duty.
Marwa urged the awardees to see their plaques as reminders that hard work is recognised, while encouraging other officers to draw inspiration from their achievements.
He also acknowledged the contributions of international partners, sister agencies, civil society organisations and the media, calling for deeper collaboration to safeguard Nigeria’s future.
