The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Tuesday, said it recorded a total of 77,792 arrests, including 128 barons, 14,225 convictions and seized over 14.8 million kilograms of illicit substances seized in five years.
Buba Marwa, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, revealed this while honouring about 166 NDLEA personnel, 17 Commands at bi-annual CCEO awards ceremony in Abuja
He also used the opportunity to warn drug traffickers, saying “the era of Nigeria serving as a safe haven for criminal drug enterprises is over.”
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Marwa, who has been championing the war against drug trafficking for the past five years, also charged NDLEA officers to brace up for more tactically sophisticated operations against drug cartels, barons and their mules in the next five years of his second tenure.
According to him, “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.
“It’s therefore heartwarming to note that in the last five years, we recorded significant operational successes including the arrest of 77,792 drug offenders, including 128 identified drug barons who were central to major trafficking networks. We seized a total of 14,847,486.34 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, thereby significantly disrupting both local and transnational supply chains.
“In further strengthening the criminal justice response to drug offences, the Agency successfully prosecuted and secured convictions against 14,225 offenders, reinforcing deterrence and affirming that drug crime attracts consequences.
“In line with our balanced approach, the Agency also prioritised drug demand reduction”, he said.
He also announced that about 32,442 drug users received professional intervention, through the NDLEA’s structured treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation programmes.
“Additionally, 13,735 War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities were conducted across schools, motor parks, workplaces, worship centres, and communities, expanding preventive awareness and citizen engagement nationwide”, he added.
He stated that the achievements would not have been possible without the support of the executive, legislature and the judiciary, and expressed his profound appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his unflinching support and the trust reposed in his leadership
He noted that the President’s decision to extend the current leadership’s mandate is a call to escalate the war against drug abuse and trafficking to new heights.
“These achievements are not accidental. They are the result of discipline, leadership, intelligence-led operations, and clear performance expectations.
“This journey would not have been possible without the unflinching support of the President. I therefore wish to express my profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the absolute trust he has reposed in my leadership and in the entire workforce of this Agency”, Marwa noted.
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Addressing the officers, men and women of the Agency, Marwa said “the next phase of our operations demands even more grit and more tactical sophistication. We will not rest until every drug baron is behind bars, every trafficker is intercepted, every mule is caught, and every single gram of illicit drug is removed from our streets and communities.
“There is no room for complacency. We must remain proactive, intelligence-led, and ruthless in our pursuit of those who seek to destroy our youth and our national security”, he concluded.
