ABUJA, Nigeria — The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), declared on Wednesday that securing Nigeria from the menace of substance abuse and illicit trafficking requires a collective effort from all societal stakeholders, rather than law enforcement alone.
Speaking at the 7th Security and Emergency Management Awards and Conference (SAEMA 2025) held at the agency’s national headquarters, Marwa outlined the agency’s roadmap for his second tenure. He pledged to consolidate the gains of the last five years through a dual strategy of aggressive interdiction and compassionate rehabilitation.
“The task before us—securing our nation—is a shared responsibility,” Marwa said. “This menace demands a multi-sectoral response involving law enforcement agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, educators, the media, and the entire community.”
Marwa reported significant operational milestones recorded in the first 10 months of 2025. He noted that the agency’s focus on “Supply Reduction” led to the arrest of over 16,304 suspects and the seizure of 4.5 million kilograms of illicit substances.
“Gratifyingly, we are getting good results,” Marwa stated. “We have successfully prosecuted and secured the conviction of about 3,000 drug offenders with hundreds of cases ongoing in court. We go the extra mile, deep into the forests, to locate cannabis plantations and destroy them. In these operations, we have destroyed 612 hectares of cannabis farms within the same 10-month period.”
The NDLEA boss emphasized that the agency is placing equal weight on “Demand Reduction” through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign. According to Marwa, the agency conducted over 3,765 sensitization activities across schools, markets, and places of worship in 2025 to curb the appetite for illicit substances.
“To simplify its importance, I usually reference the law of demand and supply,” Marwa explained. “Where there is no demand, there will not be supply. If we wake up tomorrow and no one is demanding cocaine or cannabis, the market will dry up and the suppliers would be out of business.”
During the event, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), commended Marwa’s leadership, noting a direct correlation between drug abuse and national security challenges.
“There is no way you can detach issues of drug abuse from the issues of security in this country,” Rafsanjani said. “Every day we hear of drugs being intercepted and taken out of the hands of the public. The incredible amount of work that Gen. Marwa is doing for this country, I don’t think people have even sat down to reflect on it.”
Rafsanjani, who also chairs the board of Amnesty International Nigeria, added that the awards ceremony served as necessary recognition for security personnel who often make the ultimate sacrifice without sufficient public appreciation.
The event, themed “Drug Control and National Security: Innovations for a Safer Tomorrow,” was organized by Image Merchants Promotion Limited in collaboration with the Centre for Crisis Communication and CISLAC.
Highlights of the ceremony included the presentation of the “Outstanding Personality of the Year” award to Marwa and the “Outstanding Crisis Communicator of the Year” award to Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy. Other agencies honored included the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The event also featured the public presentation of the book Anti-Drug, Anti-Smuggling Campaigns: A Corpers’ Chronicle, authored by Youth Corps members Arafat Abdulrazaq and Tahir Ahmad.
