Our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reappointed Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), extending his tenure for another five years in recognition of his groundbreaking achievements in Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
Marwa, first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, will now continue to lead the agency until 2031, a move widely seen as a strong vote of confidence in his transformational leadership.
Before taking charge at the NDLEA, Marwa chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020, laying the policy foundation for reforms he would later implement at the agency.
A distinguished military officer and administrator, the Adamawa-born Marwa previously served as military governor of Lagos and Borno States. A product of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), he has held several strategic roles, including brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, academic registrar of the NDA, Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, and Defence Adviser to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
He also holds two advanced degrees: a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Under his stewardship, the NDLEA has reportedly recorded unprecedented successes in Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign. These include the arrest of over 73,000 drug mules and barons, as well as the seizure of more than 15 million kilogrammes of assorted hard drugs. The agency has also intensified community-focused campaigns to curb drug abuse nationwide.
President Tinubu, while announcing the renewal, praised Marwa’s dedication and the agency’s sweeping results, saying:
“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse. I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs out to destroy our people, especially the young ones.”
