Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd)
Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), the chairman of the country’s anti-drug trafficking body, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another five-year term. The decision has been described as a decisive affirmation of continuity in Nigeria’s battle against narcotics. The reappointment means that Marwa’s leadership extends until 2031.
The announcement, issued by Special Adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is an endorsement of Marwa’s significant impact since he assumed office in January 2021. He has been commended for transforming the agency into an effective force against drug trafficking and abuse.
Marwa steps into this extended role building on a distinguished career. A graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1973.
His service included major positions such as Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to a formerChief of Army Staff and one of the most recognised Generals in Nigerian army history, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma.
He was Academic Registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). Internationally, he served as Deputy Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Embassy in Washington, DC, and Defence Adviser to the UN Permanent Mission.
Marwa’s academic prowess shines through with a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983–1985) and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University (1985–1986).
Before his appointment to the NDLEA, he had served as a military administrator for Nigeria’s commercial nerve-centre, Lagos state, and the northeastern state of Borno. He chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse (2018–2020).
Tinubu hailed the reappointment as “a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse.” He urged Marwa to intensify pursuits against “merchants of hard drugs out to destroy our people, especially the young ones,” emphasizing the human stakes in this war.
Anti-drug advocates say Marwa’s first term has been nothing short of revolutionary, marked by unprecedented operational triumphs and strategic reforms that have dismantled trafficking networks and curbed demand. Under his “Offensive Action” strategy, launched in January 2021, NDLEA shifted from reactive policing to proactive assaults on cartels, yielding staggering figures.
Cumulatively, the agency arrested between 70,000 and 72,000 drug mules, barons, and traffickers, including 110 high-profile kingpins, while seizing between 12 and 13 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances. These seizures, including cannabis, cocaine, heroin, tramadol, and methamphetamine, represent a 300% surge from pre-2021 levels, according to agency reports.
Convictions have soared, with around 10,572 offenders jailed, including 6,839 between 2023 and 2024 alone. Convictions continue to rise this year. In the past 30 months under Tinubu’s administration, between May 2023 and October this year, NDLEA notched 45,853 arrests, 9,263 convictions, and 8.5 million kilograms seized, alongside destroying 426 hectares of cannabis farms.
Pundits say these gains are the results of Marwa’s holistic blueprint, in line with the National Drug Control Master Plan (2021–2025). Supply reduction efforts targeted transnational syndicates, forging partnerships with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), UK National Crime Agency (NCA), and UNODC.
High-profile busts, like a 1,000kg cocaine seizure at Lagos Port in collaboration with international allies, shows enhanced intelligence-sharing. Domestically, NDLEA’s canine units, marine commands, and rapid response teams expanded, raiding over 400 cannabis plantations annually.
Equally vital is Marwa’s demand reduction pillar, via the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign launched in June 2021. This nationwide advocacy has reached schools, workplaces, markets, and communities.
Over 1.8 million were sensitised in 2024 alone. Thousands have been counselled or rehabilitated annually. For example, there were over 20,000 interventions by the middle of this year.
By March, 24,375 individuals received brief interventions at NDLEA facilities. WADA’s impact is evident in rising helpline calls, hundreds monthly in states like Kaduna, and community pledges for drug-free zones, reducing youth vulnerability in hotspots like Kano, where 1.07 million users were identified.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) describes the efforts as “the most transformative” in NDLEA’s 35-year history, surpassing prior tenures in scale and transparency.
Legislative wins boost these efforts. The amended NDLEA Act, which was Passed by the National Assembly in May, enhances penalties and funding, addressing prior gaps despite resource constraints.
It was, however, declined assent by Tinubu in June due to constitutional and transparency concerns, such as clauses relating to procurement, but efforts ongoing for revisions.
Some sources say Marwa’s reforms have instilled discipline, with training for 2,500 new officers emphasising resistance to cartel temptations.
These achievements, arrests up 400% from 2020, seizures tripling, have clearly informed the reappointment, as Tinubu’s review affirmed Marwa’s role in national security.
Marwa’s extended mandate signals resolve. “We must safeguard our youth and future,” Tinubu implored. With cartels adapting, experts anticipate deeper tech integration and cross-border operations by the agency.
Marwa, ever the strategist, has vowed that the offensive will continue unabated. For a country healing from a severe narcotics’ grip, this renewal is more than administrative, it is a lifeline.
