NDLEA Declares Nigeria No Longer Drug Cartels’ Safe Haven After 77K Arrests, 14M Kg Seizures

By Linda Ike

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa has declared Nigeria’s era as a safe haven for drug cartels over, citing five years of stellar results: 77,792 arrests including 128 barons, 14,225 convictions, and 14.8 million kg of illicit drugs seized.

Speaking at the 11th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CCEO) Awards and Commendation ceremony in Abuja, Marwa highlighted demand reduction efforts, including treatment for 32,442 users and 13,735 WADA sensitization programs nationwide.

He said, “When I first resumed in 2021, I promised to take the fight to the doorsteps of the merchants of death. Today, the numbers speak for themselves “Through our collective resilience, we have sent a clear message that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for illicit drug enterprise.”

Marwa thanked President Bola Tinubu for extending his mandate, calling it a “call to escalate the war against drug abuse and trafficking to new heights.”

He urged officers to ramp up tactically sophisticated operations with no room for complacency until every baron, trafficker, and gram of drugs is eliminated.

The event honored top performers, with Marwa stressing motivation’s role in the agency’s resurgence and calling for stronger partnerships with government arms, international allies, sister agencies, civil society, and media.