The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (Rtd), has disclosed that the agency has seized seized 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs and arrested 68 drug barons on the last four years.
Marwa made the disclosure while delivering his welcome address at a training workshop organized by NDLEA for the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum (NGSF) in Abuja on Tuesday.
He added that operatives also secured the conviction of 11,628 offenders, while 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed.
According to him, these arrests and seizures are as a result of the anti-narcotics agency’s deployment of substantial resources in the last four years, towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem.
Marwa noted that the drug scourge obstructs progress and dims prospects in an already beleaguered world, adding that “the magnitude and impact of the drug crisis render the attainment of our national aspiration—improving the health and security of all who dwell within our borders, as enshrined in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2021–2025—a daunting yet inevitable task for any government and people worthy of the name.”
He said that the anti-narcotics agency has, over the past four years, pursued this mission with renewed and unwavering zeal, ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes are not merely preserved but expanded.
“To ensure a balanced approach in accordance with international best practices, equal emphasis has been placed on drug demand reduction. Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions. Concurrently, 10,501 drug sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the auspices of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign, reaching diverse target groups within communities. In parallel, a remarkable 3, 843, 789 participants were mobilized to partake in these enlightenment initiatives undertaken across the nation,” he said.
While charging the stakeholders not to surrender to despair over the menace of drug abuse, Marwa expressed confidence that the training will strengthen capacities, harness community resources, and unlock the potential needed to formulate and implement evidence-based interventions that will salvage and rejuvenate every segment of beleaguered communities.
Earlier in her keynote address,
the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who was represented by wife of the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Laila Jibrin Barau, commended the NDLEA, and NGSF for the initiative aimed at advancing drug control efforts to the grassroots across the country. She specifically commended Marwa and his team “for courageously confronting the fight against illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the country.”
She noted that the challenge of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents is one that can no longer be ignored or tacked in isolation but requires concerted efforts and community-driven response that integrates enforcement, education, family support, and sustained intervention.
She further charged state first ladies to “lead by example, to bear their burden, and share in their pain as we jointly confront drug abuse in our society” and ensure a healthier, safer future for all Nigerians.
Also speaking at the workshop, UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Ousmane Toure, stated that “If the root of this crisis lies in our neighborhoods, schools, and homes, then the solution must too. The National Drug Control Master Plan and the WADA initiative remind us of that national framework alone cannot heal fractured communities. Lasting change begins when states and local governments own this fight.”
He reminded the first ladies that their influence transcends politics, adding that “you are the custodian of trust in your states. When you speak, community listens. When you act, local governments follow”.
He said every state must prioritize dedicated budget for prevention and treatment. “This means establishing a state-specific drug control task force to align with NDLEA’s national efforts, allocating local government funds to build community drop-in centres, safe space for counseling, and care within walking distance of those in need”, he said.
The UNODC chief stated further that states must adopt evidence-based programmes to their cultural contexts, and decentralize treatment access.
The head of ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah spoke in same light in his goodwill message, urging state governments to invest in prevention and treatment efforts at the state and community-levels.
Experts who served as resource persons during the technical session of the workshop include: Dr. Martins Agwogie, Prof. Akintunde Oyedokun, Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, Dr. Abubakar Salami, Dr. Kunle Adeshina and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike.
