…We Arrested 66,085, Convicted 12,201 In 53 Months — Marwa
ABUJA – President Bola Ahmed Tinu-bu has declared that the fight against the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria must be embraced by all as a national movement rath-er than one for governments alone.
The president stated this in his keynote address at the grand finale of a week-long program me to commemorate the 2025 World Drug Day held at the Presidential Villa Conference Centre, Abuja on Thursday.
“Let us also be clear: this fight is not one for governments alone. It must be a national move-ment—driven by families, faith leaders, civil society organisa-tions, youth groups, community leaders, businesses, and, crucial-ly, people with lived experience. Their voices matter. Their sto-ries inspire. Their leadership is essential.
“At the same time, we must not ignore the deeper roots of this crisis. Drug abuse is tied to poverty, inequality, violence and conflict. To effectively tackle this problem, our approach must be comprehensive. We must foster peace. We must promote inclu-sive development. And we must uphold human rights every step of the way”, the president who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Fed-eration (SGF), Senator George Akume declared.
He assured Nigeria stands firmly with the global commu-nity in the effort to tame the scourge of drug abuse and its consequences.
According to him, “We are committed to working hand in hand with all nations to end this menace and tame illicit traffick-ing of substances. Together, we can dismantle the systems that sustain this crisis. Together, we can build a future where preven-tion is strong, treatment is ac-cessible, and recovery is not just possible—but celebrated. There is no doubt that in the past two years, this has been the focus of the Renewed Hope Agenda of our administration; breaking the bur-den of poverty, uplifting millions out of squalor and caring for the needs of the masses especially our youth population through student loans scheme and other empowerment initiatives.”
While commending “the great efforts of the NDLEA, its personnel and the leadership headed by Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) for their glob-ally acclaimed successes not only in the area of drug supply reduction but equally in drug demand reduction through ag-gressive nationwide sensitisation aimed at prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration of treated drug users back into their families and the society”, President Tinubu noted that the efforts “have not only attracted commendations from interna-tional partners and western nations but more support and collaboration with Nigeria in the global effort to curb the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.”
In his welcome remark at the occasion, Chairman/Chief Ex-ecutive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) stated that there is no better time than now for the country to take drug use prevention seriously.
According to him, “The re-ality around us is a strong indi-cation—a wake-up call—for us as parents, guardians and gov-ernments to step up preventive measures.
“For our nation, prevention is particularly critical, as we are already grappling with a serious challenge. Seven years ago, we came to the stark realisation that Nigeria had one of the high-est drug abuse prevalence rates in the world. Today, with a pop-ulation exceeding 230 million, it is both urgent and pragmatic to prevent new individuals from being drawn into the popula-tion of drug users. As parents, guardians, and leaders, we must be more vigilant and recognise that the issue of drug abuse is not distant—it is close to home. We must acknowledge that children are especially vulnerable, and we should not dismiss experi-mentation with illicit drugs as behaviour limited to a particular demographic.”
He said the NDLEA has con-tinued to strengthen prevention strategies while being ferocious in its drug supply reduction activ-ities, adding that addressing the socio-economic drivers of drug abuse is also crucial, as a preven-tion strategy.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is pro-viding leverage to tackle such critical factors as poverty and unemployment. Initiatives like NELFUND, which offers student loans, and programmes like the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT), which improve technical skills required for digital econo-my employability, along with improved national security, will reduce the factors that increase the likelihood of drug abuse.
“In the final analysis, how-ever, much responsibility rests on parenting. So, we should be looking at how to empower those invested with the role of parent-ing. Through our War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign, we work with parents, teachers and leaders in commu-nities, institutions and associa-tions to spread awareness and teach how to safeguard younger generations. Our family support advocacy emphasises that chil-dren don’t just need money— they need the presence and voice of their parents and guardians. Parents must ask questions, dig deeper, and instill values.
“Teachers also play a crucial role. They are deeply influential in shaping character and instill-ing values during the school years. The national curriculum now includes topics on drug abuse, and teachers are in a prime position to guide and pro-tect young minds.
“Our advocacy efforts under the WADA campaign continue to gain momentum. Every week, across Nigeria, our 36 state com-mands with the FCT and 14 zon-al commands engage in WADA outreach—raising awareness in schools, offices, religious centres, communities, motor parks and markets. We educate the public about the dangers of drug abuse and how to escape its grip. In recent years, many non-govern-mental organisations have joined NDLEA in partnership to broad-en the reach of WADA advocacy. As a result, we have organised 11, 123 sensitisation programmes in schools, work places, worship centres, markets, motor parks and communities, while millions have been reached through our various robust weekly media en-gagements. This is in addition to thousands more who have bene-fitted from the psycho-social sup-port services provided through our 24/7 Call Centre on our toll-free helpline- 080010203040.
“At the same time, we have ramped up treatment and reha-bilitation efforts, with 30 centres currently active, where we have in the past 53 months counselled and rehabilitated 26,393 persons. Thanks to the support of Mr. Pres-ident, seven new rehabilitation centres have now been approved and will be developed under the current year’s budget. That will broaden access to treatment.
“Over the past four and a half years, we have arrested 66,085 of-fenders—including 94 identified drug barons. Our Operation Of-fensive Action has yielded tangi-ble results, including the seizure of 11,143,717.44kg assorted illicit drugs with life sentences now be-ing secured in court while a total of 12,201 offenders have bagged various jail terms within the same time frame.”
He expressed gratitude to the individuals and institutions that have shown determination and resolve in helping to stem the tide of drug abuse in Nigeria. “We deeply appreciate the unwaver-ing support of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. His administration has provided the NDLEA with robust backing. We are also grateful to the Nation-al Assembly—particularly the chairmen and members of the Senate and House of Represen-tatives Committees on Drugs and Narcotics—who have been stead-fast allies of the agency. Similarly, the Nigeria Governors Spouses’ Forum and the MTN Nigeria Foundation have proven to be valued partners in progress.
In his remark, Attorney Gen-eral of the Federation and Min-ister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), said drug abuse is not just a public health crisis, but a threat to national security, social stability, and economic development. “Drug abuse and trafficking force organised crime undermines the rule of law and destroys the hope and future of our young people, our most pre-cious national assets. Ladies and gentlemen, the evidence is indeed clear that investing in prevention of illicit drug cultivation and traf-ficking works.”
Also speaking, Senate Presi-dent, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Sena-tor Ibrahim Dankwambo, said the fight against the drug scourge “is not a war of convenience, it is a war of necessity. Every life lost to addiction is not just a tragedy, it is a failure of our collective will. Every young Nigerian drawn into this abyss is a call to arms.”
Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Cheikh Ousmane Toure said prevention, treatment and recovery must not be seen as luxuries.
“They are life-saving invest-ments. Together we can break the vicious cycle of drug abuse, organised crime and marginali-sation and together we can build a safer, healthier and more hope-ful Nigeria”, he added.