The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 77,792 drug offenders and seized 14,847 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs over the past five years, the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja.
Speaking at the NDLEA Commands, Awards and Commendations Ceremony, Marwa highlighted that 128 identified drug barons, central to major trafficking operations across Nigeria, were apprehended during the period. He said these achievements significantly disrupted local and transnational drug networks, sending a clear message that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for illicit drug operations.
Marwa added that the agency secured 14,225 convictions, reinforcing deterrence and affirming that drug crimes attract legal consequences. Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA provided counselling, treatment, and rehabilitation to 32,442 drug users nationwide. The agency also conducted 13,735 sensitisation activities across schools, markets, workplaces, motor parks, worship centres, and communities as part of its War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
“These operational successes are the result of deliberate reforms, improved intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, capacity building, and enhanced welfare for our officers,” Marwa said, expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for extending his tenure for another five years.
The NDLEA chief reassured Nigerians of intensified efforts in the coming years, vowing that drug barons, traffickers, and couriers would face no respite.
“There is no room for complacency. 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 drug is removed from our streets,” Marwa stated.
He stressed that the agency’s ultimate objective remains the total disruption of drug trafficking networks and the creation of a safer, drug-free Nigeria, adding that operations would continue to be intelligence-led, proactive, and uncompromising.
Marwa, who assumed office as NDLEA Chairman in 2021, has since prioritised intelligence-led operations, staff welfare, and inter-agency collaboration to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
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