Following his exceptional performance in curbing the use of illicit drugs and trafficking of narcotics in the country, President Bola Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd) as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another term of five years. Marwa was initially appointed the head of the agency by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021. Before then, he had served as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020. Marwa will lead the anti-narcotic agency until 2031.
According to Tinubu, 'your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse. I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs out to destroy our people, especially the young ones.' Consequently, Marwa has warned drug barons, traffickers and their cartels to quit the criminal trade or face harder times during his second tenure. He also appealed to those who are engaged in illicit drug trafficking that this is the right time for them to drop the criminal business and embrace something legitimate.
It is commendable that the agency has established the Alternative Development Unit, which seeks to persuade those who are perpetrating the illicit drug activities, particularly cannabis growers, who are the agency's greatest challenge in Nigeria to desist from the habit and collaborate with the agency. According to Marwa, 'we are going to support towards licit cultivation of crops that are legitimate, legal and you can sleep with your two eyes closed. But those who refuse to do that can be sure that the NDLEA is up and able on its task of law enforcement.'
While addressing the management, officers, men and women of the agency following his reappointment, the NDLEA boss vowed that his second tenure would be hell and bleak for those who failed to quit the illicit drug trade. Marwa expressed gratitude to the president for recognizing the current efforts against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking across the country. 'We thank the President and Commander-in-Chief for the special recognition of our collective efforts and the new mandate for us to continue with the war against drug abuse and trafficking. I thank the management, officers, men, and women of the agency who continue to provide service to the nation every day, in spite of the risks that you all face.'
The renewal of Marwa's mandate for another term of five years by the president is laudable considering his monumental achievements since he has been in charge of the agency. We believe that another five years for Marwa will enable him consolidate his vision of the anti-narcotic agency and increase the tempo of the war against illicit drug abuse. Since his assumption of office as the head of the agency, Marwa has vigorously waged a relentless war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country through pragmatic far-reaching measures. He should see his reappointment as another charge to do more in curbing illicit drug use and trafficking in the country.
The NDLEA under Marwa has made tremendous achievements. These include the arrest of over 73,000 drug traffickers and the seizure of more than 15 million kilograms of illicit drugs. The anti-narcotic agency has also carried out nationwide campaigns to enlighten the public and combat drug abuse. It has equally obtained 12,201 convictions and rehabilitated 26,393 drug addicts.
The Adamawa-born former military officer served as military governor of Borno and Lagos states. He is an alumnus of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). He later returned there as academic registrar. Marwa was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973. He held key positions, including brigade major of 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, Deputy Defence Adviser at Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and Defence Adviser at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations. He holds a Master of Public and International Affairs degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University.