President Tinubu’s Reappointment of Marwa Sends Drug Barons Fleeing

Nigeria’s notorious drug barons are reportedly on edge, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reappoints Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.) for a second term as Executive Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Civil rights group HURIWA hailed the move as a decisive boost to the country’s fight against narcotics trafficking and abuse.
HURIWA said intelligence reaching its offices indicates that several hardened drug kingpins are already planning to evade law enforcement following signals that Marwa will take the counter-narcotics war to “even greater strategic heights.” The rights group described the reappointment as a clear message: “No tolerance for drug crimes under this administration.”
National Coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, in a statement indicated that under President Tinubu’s leadership, Brig. Gen. Marwa has steered the NDLEA to remarkable achievements over the past two years, including the arrest of 40,887 drug offenders, among them 45 major barons, and the seizure of more than 5.5 million kilograms of illicit substances nationwide.
The agency has destroyed 704 hectares of concealed cannabis farms, secured convictions for 8,682 traffickers with assets forfeited to the government, and rehabilitated 24,173 drug users across 30 centres.
In addition, the NDLEA has carried out 8,698 public sensitisation campaigns in schools, workplaces, worship centres, motor parks, and communities, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to tackling drug abuse and trafficking throughout Nigeria.
Marwa underscored that these results were achieved through nationwide operations targeting street-level traffickers, warehouses, border routes, and ports. The NDLEA also recently received 48 new vehicles to strengthen strategic commands across the country.
HURIWA commended President Tinubu for creating a strong enabling environment for the agency and praised Attorney-General Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for his leadership in supporting the justice sector’s fight against narcotics.
“Drug traffickers now face a reality they cannot ignore,” HURIWA said. “The administration’s renewed commitment, coupled with General Marwa’s strategic leadership, shows that Nigeria is serious about eradicating hard drugs and protecting its youth.”
The rights group reaffirmed its support for initiatives aimed at prevention, rehabilitation, and law enforcement, highlighting the importance of sustained public education campaigns to curb substance abuse among young Nigerians.