By Gabriel Ameh
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has declared that the fight against illicit drugs, substance abuse, and related social vices remains a collective responsibility for all Nigerians and security stakeholders.
Marwa made the statement on Wednesday during his keynote address at the 7th Security and Emergency Management Awards and Conference (SAEMA 2025), held at the NDLEA national headquarters in Abuja. The event brought together security professionals, civil society leaders, and media executives, who commended the agency’s reforms and results under his leadership.
The NDLEA boss assured that the agency will consolidate on its achievements from the past five years, especially as he begins his second tenure. He pledged intensified efforts through aggressive interdictions and compassionate treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention programmes.
“Securing our nation is a shared responsibility,” Marwa said. “The awards presented today remind us that all security agencies, emergency responders, and civil society partners are working toward the same goal a safe, stable, and prosperous Nigeria.”
He noted that addressing the drug menace requires a multi-sectoral response involving traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations, educators, the media, and local communities. He commended IMPR and partners for hosting SAEMA 2025 with the theme: “Drug Control and National Security: Innovations for a Safer Tomorrow.”
NDLEA’s Two-Pronged Strategy
Marwa outlined the agency’s two-pronged approach to tackling drug threats:
- Supply Reduction:
Through intelligence-led operations, interdictions, and international cooperation, the NDLEA has intercepted large quantities of narcotics, dismantled trafficking networks, and prosecuted offenders.
According to Marwa, in the first 10 months of 2025 alone, the agency recorded:
16,304 arrests
About 3,000 convictions, with hundreds of cases ongoing
4.5 million kilograms of illicit substances seized
612.2864 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed
He added that NDLEA operatives continue to go “deep into the forests” to locate and destroy drug plantations, while maintaining strong surveillance at borders, airports, and seaports.
- Demand Reduction:
Recognizing that enforcement alone cannot curb drug abuse, the NDLEA continues to strengthen public education and rehabilitation efforts. Central to this is the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), a nationwide, grassroots-driven advocacy campaign.
“In 2025 alone, WADA has reached communities across all states through public lectures, sensitisation visits, and advocacy campaigns,” he said. The NDLEA has conducted over 3,765 WADA activities, with officers from its state, zonal, and strategic commands engaging the public weekly.
Stakeholders Commend NDLEA
Several dignitaries at the event, including CISLAC Executive Director Auwal Musa Rafsanjani; former Defence Spokesperson Gen. Chris Olukolade (rtd); Chairman of IMPR Prof. Sule Yau Sule; and PRNigeria’s Editor-in-Chief Yushau Shuaib, praised NDLEA’s proactive reforms.
The event also featured the launch of a book titled Anti-Drug, Anti-Smuggling Campaigns: A Corpers’ Chronicle, authored by two youth corps members, Arafat Abdulrazaq and Tahir Ahmad.
Award Highlights
Marwa was honoured with the Outstanding Personality of the Year award, while NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, received the Outstanding Crisis Communicator of the Year award.
Other recognised agencies included the Nigerian Army, Air Force, DSS, EFCC, ICPC, and Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS).
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
