7,792 arrested, 14,225 convicted, 14.8m kg drugs seized in five years, says Marwa
Buba Marwa, chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says the agency arrested 77,792 drug offenders, including 128 major drug barons, secured 14,225 convictions, and seized over 14.8 million kilograms of illicit drugs in the last five years.
Marwa spoke on Tuesday at the 11th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CCEO) Awards and Commendation ceremony at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, where 166 personnel and 17 commands were honoured.
He said the achievements show that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for criminal drug enterprises, noting that the seizures significantly disrupted local and transnational drug trafficking networks.
“When I resumed in 2021, I promised to take the fight to the doorsteps of drug merchants. Today, the numbers speak for themselves,” Marwa said.
He added that the agency’s success was also reflected in its strengthened prosecution efforts, stressing that drug crime attracts consequences.
Marwa, who recently completed his first five-year tenure, attributed the gains to intelligence-led operations, discipline, and leadership, while acknowledging the support of the executive, legislature and judiciary.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for extending the leadership’s mandate, describing it as a call to intensify the war against drug abuse and trafficking.
According to him, the next phase of NDLEA operations will focus on more tactically sophisticated actions against drug cartels, barons and their networks.
“We will not rest until every drug baron and trafficker is brought to justice and illicit drugs are taken off our streets,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman urged officers of the agency to remain proactive and uncompromising in protecting communities and national security.
