The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), citing its central role in safeguarding Nigeria’s security and public health.
Ribadu made the pledge on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, while commissioning 46 new operational vehicles at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja for deployment to strategic commands and formations nationwide.
Commending NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), and his team for their discipline and results-driven leadership, Ribadu said illicit drug trafficking is a systemic driver of insecurity, financing criminal gangs, insurgents, and armed groups, while fuelling addiction among youths.
“Without the mobility to swiftly reach danger points, intercept traffickers, and move resources where they are most needed, our fight is severely constrained,” Ribadu said, adding that the Renewed Hope Agenda recognises drug control as a key pillar of national security.
He assured that the Office of the National Security Adviser will continue to back the agency through inter-agency coordination with the police, customs, and NAFDAC, while challenging NDLEA officers to treat the new fleet as a fresh mandate to act decisively and within the law.
In his remarks, Marwa described the commissioning as a milestone in repositioning the NDLEA into a globally respected, modern, and efficient security agency. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for the fiscal backing that enabled the vehicle procurement, noting its alignment with the administration’s focus on institutional reform and citizen safety.
Marwa linked illicit drugs to rising crime trends, stating: “Kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency, and cult violence are all fuelled by illicit substances. No serious approach to national security can ignore drug control.”
He highlighted NDLEA’s results in the past two years:
40,887 drug offenders arrested, including 45 major traffickers
Over 5.5 million kg of assorted drugs seized
704.445 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed
8,682 convictions secured
Assets forfeited to the Federal Government
24,173 drug users rehabilitated in 30 centres
8,698 anti-drug sensitisation activities nationwide
Marwa pledged to keep evolving the agency’s strategy with sharper intelligence, stronger community engagement, and improved mobility to counter the ever-changing drug trafficking landscape.
