The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the National Assembly to fast-track amendments to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act, demanding stronger funding guarantees and operational autonomy for the agency.
The group said it was contradictory for Nigeria to celebrate the NDLEA’s international achievements while delaying legislation needed to sustain its performance.
HURIWA particularly commended the agency’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), and its workforce for transforming Nigeria’s drug control operations.
It said the agency’s presentation at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly had earned Nigeria positive international recognition.
According to figures presented by the NDLEA, the agency recorded 38,242 arrests between January 2025 and September 2026, seized over 5.8 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs valued at more than N2.5 trillion and secured 6,232 convictions.
It also facilitated treatment and rehabilitation for more than 16,303 persons, while its drug prevention campaigns reached millions.
HURIWA praised the NDLEA’s international partnerships, particularly its agreement with the Australian Federal Police covering intelligence sharing, coordinated operations and capacity development.
The organisation also highlighted the agency’s alternative development initiative, which encourages communities to abandon illicit cannabis cultivation for legitimate agricultural activities.
However, HURIWA warned that drug cartels were becoming increasingly sophisticated, making stronger institutional capacity and sustainable funding imperative.
It called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and relevant committees of the National Assembly to expedite consideration of the proposed amendments.
The group stressed that operational independence must be backed by transparency, accountability and human rights safeguards.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on November 3, 2026, HURIWA said Nigeria must consolidate the NDLEA’s international achievements through decisive legislative action.
It declared: “Nigeria must not celebrate institutional excellence abroad while withholding the legislative support required to sustain it at home.”
The group insisted that empowering the NDLEA should be treated as an urgent national security priority.