… Commend Marwa’s leadership as Agency empowers strategic commands, formations with 48 new vehicles
THUR AUG 14 2025-theGBJournal| The National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has said that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to strengthen the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) because of its strategic value to the success of the country’s national security architecture.
The NSA stated this in his remarks at the commissioning of 46 new vehicles distributed to strategic commands and formations of NDLEA on Wednesday at the Agency’s national headquarters in Abuja.
Ribadu also commended the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) and his team for their sustained commitment, discipline and energy in transforming the NDLEA into a result-oriented force against one of the most destabilising threats to Nigeria’s national well-being: illicit drugs.
Ribadu meanwhile, noted that the link between drug trafficking and insecurity is systemic.
He said criminal gangs thrive on drug profits, Insurgents and armed groups fund their activities with it. Countless young Nigerians fall victim to addiction, with devastating consequences for families and communities.
”This is why the renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prioritizes drug control as a pillar of our national security strategy,” he adds.
According to Ribadu, as the lead agency for drug control, arrest, seizure, and investigation and prosecution, NDLEA will continue to receive the full backing of the Office of National Security Adviser, which will also coordinate its efforts with other security and regulatory agencies, including the National Police Force, Nigerian Customs Service, NAFDAC.
In his welcome address, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA said the event is symbolic of the continuous effort to reposition the Agency as a modern, efficient and respected organization as well as a reflection of the sustained commitment of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to equipping institutions that stand on the front line of the country’s national security and public health.
While explaining the importance of the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking to national security, Marwa said ”We know from both intelligence and experience that drug abuse and trafficking are central to many security challenges in the country.
The link is undeniable: kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency and cult violence are all fuelled by illicit substances. Drug trafficking emboldens perpetrators, strips away moral restraint and replaces hope with recklessness.
No serious approach to national security can ignore drug control, and this is why we pursue our mandate with focus, determination and the results are there to show.”
He noted that in just two years of President Tinubu’s administration, the NDLEA has achieved significant results.
“We have arrested 40,887 drug offenders, including 45 drug barons leading to the seizure of over 5.5 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances, all recovered from our streets, communities, warehouses, border routes and ports nationwide, with 704.445 hectares of cannabis farms, hidden deep in forests, destroyed.
We have equally secured the conviction of 8,682 traffickers and kingpins alike, ensured their assets forfeitures to the Federal Government through the court process, thus sending a clear message that drug crimes attract legal consequences.
“Equally important is the fact that 24,173 drug users have been treated and rehabilitated in our 30 rehab centres located across the country while 8,698 War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities aimed at preventing people from going into substance abuse were carried out in schools, worship centres, work places, motor parks, and communities among others within the same period. T
hese clearly created a fair balance between our drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”
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