President Bola Tinubu has given Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.) another shot at leading Nigeria’s war on drugs, this time until 2031.
The reappointment, announced Friday by the President’s spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, keeps Marwa at the helm of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for five more years.
Marwa first took charge in January 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari and has since become one of the most visible faces in Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking.
Under his watch, the agency has made massive drug busts, arrested thousands, and ramped up efforts to educate young people about the dangers of substance abuse.
Tinubu didn’t mince words in explaining why he’s keeping Marwa on:
“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse.”
He also pushed Marwa to keep the pressure on: “I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs, out to destroy our people, especially the young ones.”
The presidency said the decision was based on Marwa’s track record of “discipline, competence and measurable results”, qualities they believe are crucial for sustaining the agency’s progress.
And the numbers back it up. Since 2021, Marwa’s NDLEA has made over 73,000 arrests and seized more than 15 million kilograms of illegal drugs.
The agency has also rolled out prevention programs targeting youth across the country.
Before leading the NDLEA, Marwa chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.
His resume also includes time as military governor of Lagos and Borno states, along with senior roles in the Nigerian Army.
He holds postgraduate degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and Harvard.
With this fresh mandate, Marwa is expected to double down on reforms and intensify Nigeria’s crackdown on drug cartels and abuse nationwide.
