The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), has announced that the Agency arrested 29,262 suspects, seized illicit drugs worth over ₦1.5 trillion, and secured the convictions of 5,225 offenders in the last 18 months.
Marwa made the disclosure while delivering his welcome address at the grand finale of the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking celebration in Abuja on Friday.
He noted that Nigeria stands in lockstep with the global community, reaffirming the country’s unwavering resolve against one of the most persistent threats to public health, national security, social stability, and human development.
“In the face of these sophisticated threats, the NDLEA has not blinked. We remain resolute. Over the past year, the Agency has recorded monumental operational successes through intelligence-driven enforcement, dismantling seemingly untouchable syndicates and executing unprecedented seizures across our airports, seaports, land borders, and deep in the forests in communities,” he stated.
Marwa warned that the Agency’s recent spectacular operational breakthroughs send an unmistakable message that there is no safe haven for drug traffickers.
He also recalled that, in a masterclass of transnational intelligence sharing, the NDLEA, in seamless collaboration with the US-DEA and law enforcement authorities from Greece, France, and Switzerland, successfully dismantled the notorious Amadi Simon drug cartel.
“With same zeal and vigour, we have effectively neutralized a highly sophisticated, cross-continental methamphetamine cartel. This operation led to the historic arrest of a 63-year-old Nigerian drug baron, Innocent Anochili, alongside three Mexican nationals and six other Nigerian accomplices, completely disrupting a major synthetic drug pipeline,” he said.
“And closely coming on the heels of this was the discovery of yet another industrial scale clandestine meth laboratory deep in the forest of Tapa village, Ibarapa North LGA, Oyo State, where a Mexican and four others were arrested and their multibillion-naira infrastructure of death shut down and dismantled.”
The NDLEA boss stressed that the Agency’s achievements are backed by an aggressive and relentless five-year campaign that has fundamentally broken the spine of drug trafficking in the country, with the arrest of no fewer than 234 drug barons coordinating the operations of major drug networks dismantled during the period.
“In the last 18 months alone, the Agency has made a total of 29,262 arrests, leading to the seizure of 5,305,484.88 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs valued at over ₦1.5 trillion and the conviction of 5,225 offenders,” Marwa disclosed.
According to him, the figures represent more than just data; they represent millions of lives saved, billions of naira in criminal wealth confiscated, and a future reclaimed for Nigeria’s youth.
He acknowledged that enforcement alone cannot solve the drug problem, noting that the NDLEA has aggressively expanded its Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) initiatives.
“Through our War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, we have conducted 6,645 drug use prevention focused sensitization and awareness creation programmes in schools, worship centres, work places, markets, motor parks and communities, and correctional facilities, among others, equipping nearly five million Nigerians with the life skills to resist drug abuse.
“Equally significant is the counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of 13,508 drug users across our 31 rehab centres spread all over the country within the same period.”
Marwa affirmed that, in line with this year’s focus on innovative responses, the Agency is strengthening its use of technology, deep-web intelligence gathering, and advanced data analytics to identify emerging drug trends before they reach the streets.
He also revealed that the NDLEA is radically upgrading its forensic and chemical analysis capabilities to improve the detection of precursor chemicals and new psychoactive substances.
He further highlighted the Agency’s first-in-Africa Alternative Development Programme, emphasising that the game-changing initiative is fully aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Marwa explained that the Alternative Development Programme provides illicit cannabis growers with alternative sources of legitimate income by encouraging the cultivation of legal crops such as cassava, maize, cowpeas, and cocoa, thereby promoting sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment.
He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his support and encouragement of the Agency, as well as his demonstrated political will in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.
Marwa equally thanked local and international partners, civil society organisations, the media, and community leaders for supporting the work of the Agency.
He further commended NDLEA personnel, describing them as “the thin green line standing between safety and chaos, working tirelessly day and night to protect our nation.”
He expressed confidence that through sustained cooperation, cutting-edge innovation, and shared responsibility, Nigeria can overcome its current challenges, neutralise emerging threats, and build a safer, healthier, and more prosperous nation for generations to come.
