The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described the tenure of Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) as the most transformative and results-driven era in the history of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), citing unprecedented figures in arrests, convictions, and institutional reforms since the agency\u2019s creation in 1989.<\/p>\n
A review by HURIWA of the NDLEA\u2019s leadership trajectory from inception revealed that while successive chairmen contributed to the agency\u2019s evolution, none has matched the scale, scope, and sustained momentum achieved under Marwa\u2019s watch.<\/p>\n
Established in 1989 to combat drug trafficking and abuse, the NDLEA began full operations in 1990 under its pioneer Chairman, Fidelis Oyakhilome. He laid the agency\u2019s structural foundation before being succeeded by Fulani Kwajafa in 1991, whose brief tenure focused on expanding state commands. Subsequent leaderships under Ba\u2019ppa Jama\u2019are, Musa Bamaiyi, Ogbonnaya Onovo, and Iliya Lokadang saw modest progress amid institutional instability and limited enforcement capacity.<\/p>\n
The agency began to find firmer footing under Alhaji Bello Yusuf Lafiaji (2000\u20132005) and Ahmadu Giade (2005\u20132015). Giade\u2019s decade-long tenure recorded about 8,637 convictions and notable international recognition that led to Nigeria\u2019s removal from the United States\u2019 list of major drug-transit nations. However, the NDLEA under Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (2016\u20132021) struggled to sustain that tempo, with fewer publicly reported breakthroughs.<\/p>\n
According to HURIWA\u2019s findings, the arrival of Marwa in January 2021 marked a decisive turning point. Within four years, the NDLEA has recorded over 73,000 arrests, including 110 high-profile drug barons, secured more than 12,000 convictions, and seized over 15 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances. These figures surpass the combined performance of some previous administrations.<\/p>\n
In 2024 alone, the agency reportedly arrested 17,670 suspected traffickers, seized over 2.7 million kilograms of illicit drugs , and counselled and rehabilitated more than 8,129 drug users through its demand-reduction programmes. The NDLEA also conducted over 3,000 sensitisation campaigns nationwide, reaching an estimated 1.8 million Nigerians in physical attendance. <\/p>\n
HURIWA noted that Marwa\u2019s approach has gone beyond conventional interdiction to include preventive education, counselling, and international collaboration. Under his leadership, the agency intensified the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, targeted transnational cartels, and achieved significant legislative reforms, including amendments to strengthen the NDLEA Act.<\/p>\n
Comparatively, while Ahmadu Giade\u2019s tenure is often cited as one of the most stable, and Lafiaji\u2019s era introduced structural reforms, the association observed that Marwa\u2019s term combines operational excellence with transparency and integrity. No corruption scandal has been linked to his administration, a stark contrast to the controversies that tainted some earlier leaderships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NDLEA under Marwa has demonstrated what strong, accountable leadership can achieve when backed by institutional vision,\u201d HURIWA observed. \u201cHis record-breaking performance has redefined Nigeria\u2019s anti-narcotics campaign and restored public trust in an agency once plagued by low morale and weak enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The rights group urged the Federal Government to sustain the momentum through better funding, welfare for operatives, and continued support for the agency\u2019s community-based initiatives, which have proven effective in reducing drug dependence and related crimes.<\/p>\n
HURIWA\u2019s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, commended Marwa for \u201crepositioning the NDLEA into one of Nigeria\u2019s most credible security institutions\u201d and urged other agencies to emulate the agency\u2019s mix of discipline, professionalism, and results-driven management.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat Marwa has achieved in less than five years is unmatched in the NDLEA\u2019s 35-year history,\u201d Onwubiko said. \u201cHe has turned the agency into a model of accountability and public service, showing that leadership still matters in governance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides, HURIWA applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for demonstrating leadership towards the eradication of hard drugs trafficking and for his administration\u2019s ability to give free hand to the management and staff of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency to embark on some of the most formidable counter narcotics exercises in the political history of Nigeria just as the Rights group said posterity would inevitably record the successes of NDLEA to the enabling environment created by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s government. <\/p>\n
*Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko*
\nNational Coordinator,
\nHuman Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described the tenure of Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) as the most transformative and results-driven era in the history of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), citing unprecedented figures in arrests, convictions, and institutional reforms since the agency\u2019s creation in 1989. A review by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8586"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8589,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8586\/revisions\/8589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}