The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said the task of securing Nigeria from substance abuse, illicit drug trafficking and other social vices must be seen and treated as a shared responsibility by all stakeholders.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), stated this at the 7th Security and Emergency Management Awards and Conference (SAEMA 2025) hosted at the NDLEA’s national headquarters in Abuja.
He assured that the agency would build on the successes of the last five years during his second tenure with aggressive interdictions and compassionate treatment, rehabilitation and prevention programmes.
‘The task before us, securing our nation, is a shared responsibility. The awards presented today are a reminder that all security agencies, emergency responders and civil society partners are working towards the same goal: a safe, stable and prosperous Nigeria.
‘This menace demands a multi-sectoral response involving law enforcement agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations (CSOs), educators, the media and the entire community. This is why I can’t but commend Image Merchants Promotion (IMPR) Limited and its partners for this initiative as well as choosing ‘Drug Control and National Security: Innovations for a Safer Tomorrow’ as the theme for SAEMA 2025’, he stated.
He said as an agency with the mandate to curb illicit drug problems, the NDLEA under his leadership responded to the challenge and pursued a two-pronged strategy.
‘The first aspect of the strategy is Supply Reduction, which entails closing down the supply pipelines of illicit drugs. We do this through intelligence-led operations, interdictions and international collaborations. By these means, we have intercepted tonnes of narcotics, dismantled cartels and prosecuted offenders. From our borders to our airports and seaports, our officers remain resolute and execute their job without fear or favour.
‘Gratifyingly, we are getting good results. In the first 10 months of this year alone, we have recorded over 16,304 arrests and have successfully prosecuted and secured the conviction of about 3,000 drug offenders with hundreds of cases ongoing in court. In the same vein, we have seized 4.5 million kilogrammes of illicit substances. We go the extra mile deep into the forests to locate cannabis plantations and destroy them.
In these operations, we have destroyed 612.2864 hectares of cannabis farms within the same 10-month period’.
He thanked the event organisers: IMPR, the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the International Emergency Management Society (IEMS) for choosing NDLEA to host this year’s ceremony, and for the honour they continue to bestow on institutions and individuals working tirelessly to safeguard Nigeria.
In his remarks at the event, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, commended Marwa for providing good leadership for NDLEA ‘to redeem and reform our country’ from people determined to destroy the young people.
He said the ceremony was ‘a recognition to the people that have been making sacrifices in this country. A lot of security personnel are making huge sacrifices for this country, for us to live in peace. Sadly, many of them have died and not much appreciation from the public’.
Others who spoke in same light include the Chairman, CCC, Gen Chris Olukolade (rtd); Chairman, IMPR, Prof SuleYauSule and the MD/Editor-in-Chief, PRNigeria, YushauShuaib.
The event also witnessed the presentation of a book, ‘Anti-Drug, Anti-Smuggling Campaigns: A Corpers’ Chronicle’ written by two youth corps members, Arafat Abdulrazaq and Tahir Ahmad.
Highpoint of the event was the presentation of the ‘Outstanding Personality of the Year’ award to Marwa and ‘Outstanding Crisis Communicator of the Year’ award to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. Other agencies honoured include security agencies.
