The renewal of the tenure of retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, by President Bola Tinubu, certainly, did not come to many as a surprise especially close watchers of the anti-narcotics organization given the unassailable record of 73,000 arrests, among them over 110 high-profile drug barons, 12,000 convictions, and the seizure of 15 million kilograms of illicit substances under five years in office.
We welcome his reappointment not only because it is well-deserved and a confidence vote on the agency’s leadership that has demonstrated integrity and vision, but will enable the organization to intensify its current war against drug and substance abuse in all ramifications as well as further consolidate the gains and positive impacts made so far nationwide.
Therefore, it is a clear confirmation of Marwa’s pedigree and amazing performance in office that the President minced no word in describing his reappointment as a ‘’vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse’’ and charged him not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs, ‘’out to destroy our people, especially the young ones”. His leadership, too, has launched campaigns to address drug abuse and established rehabilitation centres for victims in 30 states.
In other words, in our view, the fresh five-year tenure which will keep the Adamawa-born former military officer at the helm of the agency until 2031 is a challenge by the Commander-in-Chief on the leadership not to leave any stone unturned in eliminating the scourge of drug and substance abuse and trafficking now threatening the soul of the nation and exposed her youths, who are the leaders of tomorrow to grave danger.
We note with serious concern the reckless use of hard drugs and psychotropic substances by many Nigerians a trend that has been identified as one of the major drivers of worsening insecurity, manifesting in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, militancy and cultism ravaging the country and posing as an existential threat to the most populous black nation on earth.
However, it is on record that Marwa, who is widely acclaimed as the “nightmare of drug barons” due to his sustained and successful offensive action against major drug cartels and traffickers, has transformed the NDLEA into a formidable force, resulting in such remarkable feats as the arrest and prosecution of many high-profile drug kingpins, seizures of huge quantities of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, loud, cannabis, as well as effectively disrupting the operations of cartels and making it difficult for them to operate.
Similarly, the agency under the incumbent administration has adopted a novel proactive strategy of targeting the assets of drug traffickers and barons, dealing a decisive blow to their financial operations and massively boosted its intelligence gathering and operational capabilities in active collaboration with leading anti-narcotics organizations across the globe. These include, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, United Kingdom National Crime Agency, NCA and the French National Police as well as strengthened its maritime command to tighten the grip on seaports and waterways. It has also adopted a “dual strategy” of waging an unrelenting war against traffickers and a compassionate approach to user rehabilitation.
It is therefore not surprising that Marwa’s reappointment has attracted commendations nationwide with Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, describing the development as a vote for competence, integrity, patriotism and excellence in public service, stressing that with the exciting development, President Tinubu has clearly shown that public officials who demonstrate excellence on their jobs will be adequately rewarded.
“By all means, General Marwa’s reappointment as NDLEA boss is great news for the safety and security of Nigeria and Nigeria’s future from the deleterious activities of traders in narcotics. President Tinubu has done Nigeria great service with this reappointment. Time and again, Marwa has distinguished himself as an uncommon public officer whose goal is to deliver maximally on the mandate that the NDLEA is saddled with. I extend felicitations to him on his reappointment and urge him to keep up the good work”, Abiodun, who doubles as the chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, declared through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade.
But it hasn’t been a bed of roses since Marwa, who was first appointed by the late President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, after serving as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020, came on board as the agency had been contending with inadequate funding, accommodation shortage for personnel as it commissioned the first-ever purpose-built barracks in Yola, Adamawa state capital, some 35 years after its establishment as well as operating what legal experts described as ‘’weak Establishment Act.”
We believe that it was an attempt to address this challenge as well as enhance the agency’s operational independence and funding gap that the National Assembly on November 21, 2024, passed an amendment to the NDLEA Act which provides for life imprisonment for drug offenders.
Specifically, it stipulates that: “Any person who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in any way, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.” It further sought to allow the NDLEA to retain a portion of proceeds derived from drug-related crimes.
This was however not to be as President Tinubu promptly declined assent to the NDLEA Amendment Bill 2025, citing constitutional and transparency concerns. Invoking Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers him to withhold assent to a bill passed by the National Assembly argued that allowing the NDLEA retain such proceeds conflicts with the existing legal and administrative framework guiding the management of proceeds of crime in Nigeria.
“The rationale for my decision is that the bill seeks to give the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency power to retain a portion of the proceeds of drug-related crime,” Tinubu stated, adding that under current laws, all proceeds of crime are required to be paid into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account while disbursements to any agency involved in such recoveries must be authorized by the President, with approval from both the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly. ‘’There is no compelling reason to change the current process, which promotes transparency, as it involves executive and legislative oversight,” he insisted.
It is against this backdrop that we urge the Senate, House of Representatives and the Federal Government in the national interest, increase budgetary allocations to the NDLEA annually to guarantee improved funding, construction of more barracks for personnel and empower it to intensify the war against drugs and substance abuse, undertake daring and formidable counter-narcotics operations, as well as sustain support for community-based advocacy initiatives, which have proven effective in reducing drug dependence and related crimes in the country.
We congratulate Marwa on his well-deserved reappointment and implore those engaging in illicit drug trafficking, substance abuse to drop such criminal activities and embrace legitimate businesses and further charge them to take full advantage of the agency’s Alternative Development Unit, which seeks to persuade those perpetrating the illicit drug trade, especially cannabis growers, to desist from the illegality and cultivate of crops that are legitimate to promote food security. NDLEA must not rest on its oars in carrying out its primary functions to eliminate the production, selling, and trafficking of hard drugs and to prosecute offenders.
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