Buba Marwa, chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says securing Nigeria from the menace of substance abuse, illicit drug trafficking and other social vices is a shared responsibility of all stakeholders.
Marwa spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the 7th Security and Emergency Management Awards and Conference (SAEMA 2025), hosted at the NDLEA’s national headquarters.
The NDLEA chairman said his second tenure would build on past successes through “aggressive interdictions and compassionate treatment, rehabilitation and prevention programmes”.
“The task before us—securing our nation—is a shared responsibility,” Marwa said.
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He noted that 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”.
“The NDLEA remains committed to this cause, determined to build on the successes of the past few years,” he added.
“We will continue to adopt a balanced approach—placing equal emphasis on supply reduction through aggressive interdiction and demand reduction through compassionate treatment and prevention.
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“This menace demands a multi-sectoral response involving law enforcement agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, educators, the media, and the entire community.
“This is why I can’t but commend IMPR 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.”
Marwa said, under supply reduction, the agency recorded over 16,304 arrests and secured the conviction of about 3,000 drug offenders in the first 10 months of the year, seizing 4.5 million kilograms of illicit substances.
He added that the NDLEA launched the comprehensive, grassroots-driven ‘War against drug abuse (WADA) campaign’, under the demand reduction.
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“Through WADA, we have entered schools, markets, places of worship, traditional institutions and communities to spread the message that drug abuse is not a private vice but a national menace,” he said.
He added that the NDLEA runs 30 rehabilitation centres to support recovery, stressing the importance of treating dependency to “dry up” the market.
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, executive director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), commended Marwa’s leadership.
“The incredible amount of work that Gen. Marwa is doing for this country, I don’t think people have even sat down to reflect,” Rafsanjani said, noting that the awards were a “recognition to the people that have been making sacrifices in this country.”
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At the event, Marwa was presented with the ‘Outstanding Personality of the Year’ award.
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