By Peter Omopo
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has declared that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for drug dealers, citing record arrests, seizures and convictions achieved by the agency in the last five years.
Marwa made the declaration on Tuesday at the 11th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Awards and Commendation Ceremony held at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja, where he also urged officers and men of the agency to prepare for more tactically sophisticated operations against drug cartels, barons and couriers in the years ahead.
According to him, the NDLEA recorded 77,792 arrests within the period under review, including 128 identified drug barons, secured 14,225 convictions and seized more than 14.8 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs nationwide.
He added that the agency had also strengthened its drug demand reduction efforts, noting that 32,442 drug users received treatment, counselling and rehabilitation, while 13,735 sensitisation campaigns were carried out across the country under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
Marwa attributed the agency’s achievements to improved institutional discipline, intelligence-led operations and robust inter-agency collaboration. He also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for extending the tenure of the current NDLEA leadership.
“The President’s decision to extend our mandate is a call to more work. The successes of the past five years are only a foundation. In this second tenure, we will escalate the war against drug abuse and trafficking to new heights of efficiency and results,” he said.
Addressing NDLEA personnel, the NDLEA boss cautioned against complacency and assured Nigerians of sustained pressure on drug trafficking networks.
“The next phase of our operations demands more grit and tactical sophistication. We will not rest until every drug baron is behind bars, every trafficker intercepted, every mule caught, and every gram of illicit drugs removed from our communities,” Marwa stated.
The ceremony also featured the presentation of awards to officers recognised for courage, professionalism and integrity in the line of duty. Marwa urged the award recipients to see the honour as motivation for greater commitment, while encouraging other personnel to draw inspiration from their example.
He further acknowledged the support of the executive, legislature and judiciary, as well as international partners, sister security agencies, civil society organisations and the media, calling for deeper collaboration to protect Nigerian communities from drug abuse and trafficking.
