The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NDLEA

  • Amending NDLEA Act to boost anti-drugs war

    Amending NDLEA Act to boost anti-drugs war

    • By Ebun Okedepo

    Sir: As a concerned Nigerian, I wish to commend the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd), for their firm stance on drug control in Nigeria. Their recent remarks at the Inter- Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting in Abuja, particularly regarding the proposed amendment to the NDLEA Act currently awaiting presidential assent, were both reassuring and timely.

    The trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs have become a grave national crisis, with devastating effects rippling through families and communities alike.

    This is why amending the NDLEA Act is not just appropriate — it is essential. We cannot afford to delay or downplay any measure that helps curb the spread of drugs in our society.

    It was encouraging to hear the Minister of Justice reaffirm that the revised legislation will equip the NDLEA with greater resources and broader authority to tackle drug misuse and trafficking. According to him, the amendment will fortify the legal framework, improve operational efficiency, and make it easier to trace and confiscate the illicit assets of drug traffickers. This is significant — it means the law will now target both the criminals and their financial power.

    Read Also: APC chieftain hails Tinubu’s proactive approach to economic challenges

    Under Marwa’s leadership, the NDLEA has acted with focus and resolve. In just two years, the agency has arrested over 31,000 drug offenders and secured more than 6,800 convictions — despite limited funding. This is no minor feat. It reflects commendable commitment and consistency. The agency has also dismantled large cannabis farms and seized over four million kilogrammes of illegal substances. These aren’t empty claims — they are measurable results. They show that, with the right tools and legal backing, our institutions can deliver real impact.

    It is instructive to know that drug abuse isn’t just a policing issue; it’s a societal one. Both Marwa and the Fagbemi rightly emphasised that the NDLEA cannot fight this alone. They called on the public, government bodies, civil society, community leaders, and all stakeholders to take up shared responsibility. We cannot afford to look away or remain indifferent. What we do now will shape the future and safety of our children.

    That is why this amendment to the NDLEA Act is so critical. It is more than a legislative update — it signals Nigeria’s readiness to escalate the fight against drugs. It marks a new phase in our national resolve to eliminate drug abuse and trafficking.

    The president must sign this amendment into law without delay. Only then can the NDLEA operate with the full legal backing needed to act more decisively across the country.

    •Ebun Okedepo

    Ibadan, Oyo State

  • NDLEA busts syndicate sponsoring pilgrims with cocaine to hajj, arrests three kingpins in Kano

    NDLEA busts syndicate sponsoring pilgrims with cocaine to hajj, arrests three kingpins in Kano

    …arrests two Saudi-bound pilgrims, businessman going to Iran for ingesting 155 cocaine wraps.

    …intercepts N9.3 billion worth of opioids in Rivers

    Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a syndicate that sponsors hajj pilgrims who also serve as couriers to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said this followed the arrest of leaders of the cartel in Kano.

    Babafemi said the arrest of the kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano was a follow-up to the arrest of two pilgrims: Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Monday, 26 May during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    The statement reads, “The interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence. When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. They were subsequently placed on excretion observation during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg.

    Investigation soon unravelled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specialises in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia. A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested on Tuesday, 27th and Wednesday, 28th May 2025, in Kano.

    In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport on Wednesday, 28th May, intercepted a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran. His body scan confirmed he ingested illicit substances, as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.

    “At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than seven watch-listed containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA officers, men of Custom Service and other security agencies between Wednesday 28th and Friday 30th May, during which 825,200 bottles of codeine based syrup and trodol worth Five Billion Seven Hundred and Seventy Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N5,776,400,000) in street value were seized while a total of Five Million One Hundred Thousand (5,100,000) pills of opioids especially tapentadol 225mg worth Three Billion Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira Only (N3,570,000,000) were recovered.

    Read Also: Tinubu’s reforms in oil and gas regulation are worth celebrating, says Energy group

    “This brings the combined street value of the opioids to Nine Billion Three Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N9,346,400,000.00)

    In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kano- Maiduguri road Friday, 30th May intercepted the duo of Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with Nine Hundred Thousand US dollars ($900,000) cash suspected to be counterfeit. The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation.

    “While a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore-Yola road, Adamawa state on Tuesday, 27th May, NDLEA operatives in Kwara on Saturday, 31st May, arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai at Oja Oba area of Ilorin, where various quantities of opioids, including tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine-based syrup, were seized from her.

    “The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Girls Secondary School, Utai, Wudil LGA, Kano; and Government Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River, among others.

    “While commending the officers and men of MAKIA, PHPC, Kano, Kwara, and Adamawa Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”

  • NDLEA, UK-HOIO sign MoU on operational partnership against illicit drugs

    NDLEA, UK-HOIO sign MoU on operational partnership against illicit drugs

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Home Office International Operations (HOIO) of the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will enhance the fight against transnational organised crime, particularly the trafficking of illicit drugs and other prohibited commodities between Nigeria and the UK.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Monday.

    Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Monday 26th May 2025, Regional Manager (West Africa) of HOIO, Mr. Ian Cunliffe, expressed appreciation for the productive relationship between NDLEA and HOIO.

    “I’d like to start by thanking the chairman for his time today and the gracious welcome. I know the chairman had a great relationship with my predecessor, Christopher Hawksfield and with HOIO, which has been productive, and I am really keen to maintain and enhance that relationship going forward. I think the signing of this MoU today is the beginning of the next phase of our relationship,” he said.

    While acknowledging the excellent relationship with HOIO and Cunliffe’s predecessor, Marwa said, “I have no doubt that we will also have the same relationship with you. I appreciate the HOIO for all the tremendous work that you have been doing with us.”

    Read Also: NDLEA intercepts N6.5b opioids in Lagos, Rivers ports

    According to the NDLEA boss, the MoU “is not just an agreement, it is indeed a reaffirmation of our mutual trust, cooperation, collaboration and unwavering dedication to safeguarding the lives and futures of our respective nations. Nigeria, through the NDLEA, continues to scale up its drug control measures according to the National Drug Control Master Plan.

    “We have a road-map and this MoU adds to the strategy framework by establishing a clear, lawful and secure mechanism for sharing personal data, intelligence and operational insights in line with international conventions, national laws and global best practices. Together, I know we will close ranks against crime and deepen the bonds of mutual responsibility and respect.

    “We are convinced that stronger intelligence sharing leads to stronger enforcement. This partnership will enhance our collective ability to interdict criminal suspects, disrupt trafficking networks, and trace illicit financial flows with greater precision and speed.”

  • NDLEA intercepts N6.5b opioids in Lagos, Rivers ports, nabs two British men

    NDLEA intercepts N6.5b opioids in Lagos, Rivers ports, nabs two British men

    …destroys 77,000kg skunk in Cross River, Edo forests

    ….recovers 4,000kg in Nasarawa

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted six million pills of opioids namely: tamol 225mg, tapentadol 225mg and carisoprodol 225mg as well as 332,000 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup with a combined street value of N6,524,000,000 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers and the Apapa seaport, Lagos.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who made this known in a state on Sunday, said the seizures at the Apapa and Onne ports followed intelligence and tracking of new trafficking routes to ship illicit substances into Nigeria by drug cartels, which necessitated the watch-listing of the containers for 100 percent examination.

    Babafemi said the consignments at the Port Harcourt ports: six million pills of opioids and 162,000 bottles of codeine syrup were uncovered in two containers on Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th May 2025 during a joint examination of the shipments by NDLEA officers with men of the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies.

    He said at the Apapa port in Lagos, a total of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup were discovered in a watch-listed container by NDLEA operatives during a similar joint examination exercise on Thursday 22nd May.

    Babafemi also said two British nationals: Mhizha Jordan Alexander Tatendra and Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon as well as two Nigerians: Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami have been arrested by NDLEA operatives for attempting to smuggle into Nigeria 92 bags of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 51.10kg through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.

    According to the statement, Alexander was intercepted with the consignment upon his arrival at the MMIA on a Qatar Airline flight from Doha based on processed intelligence on Thursday 15th May.

    Babafemi said Alexander was allowed to pass through the security control unhindered and closely monitored by NDLEA operatives to the car park, where the owner of the cargo, Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, who is a Nigerian British, was waiting in an SUV along with his relation Shonowo Oluwaseun Imole and the driver of the vehicle, Ofuoma Omokaro Ayobami, to receive the courier.

    He said, “The NDLEA operatives tracking them however swooped on them as they attempted to drive out of the airport car park, arresting them with the drug exhibits in the vehicle. In his statement, Alexander confessed he was recruited during his vacation weeks ago while he was promised 1,300 British Pounds after a successful delivery of the consignment in Lagos. The arrowhead of the syndicate, Ayedipe Andrew Adejuwon, confessed that he arrived in Nigeria a day earlier from South Africa through Ghana.

    A follow-up operation at their apartment in Lekki led to more discoveries. At the point of his arrest, N93,000 and 17,200 South African Rand were recovered from him while a search of his Lekki apartment, led to the seizure of Three Million Eight Hundred and Ten Thousand Five Hundred Naira (N3,810,500) cash, an Apple laptop, an iPhone 14 Pro Max and four laughing gas (Nitro Oxide) canisters.”

    The spokesman also said a total of 75,000 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 30 hectares of cannabis farms by NDLEA operatives at Esuk-Odot village in Odukpani LGA, Cross River state where 200kg of same substance was recovered on Wednesday 22nd May, while 1,957.5kg of the same psychoactive plant was destroyed at Ohosu forest, Ovia South West LGA and Okhuse community forest, Owan West LGA, Edo State on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May.

    The statement reads, “In Nasarawa state, two suspects: Sunday Daniel, 51, and Abu Peter, 30, were arrested at Keffi by NDLEA operatives on Saturday 24th May when 4,000 kilograms of skunk were discovered concealed under unprocessed wood in their lorry, while another suspect, Godwin Obi, 39, was nabbed at Karu with 154.5kg of same substance on Wednesday 21st May.

    Read Also: Economic reforms drive Customs revenue to record ₦1.3tr in Q1 2025 – Adeniyi

    “In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kaduna – Zaria expressway at Gwargwaje on Wednesday 21st May, intercepted 22-year-old Muhammad Hamza with 57,750 pills of tramadol and diazepam, while same day their counterparts in Bauchi arrested Usman Muhammad, 45, along Bauchi-Misau road with 80 blocks of skunk weighing 45kg.

    Similarly, operatives on stop-and-search operations along Potiskum–Damaturu road, Yobe state intercepted 55 parcels of Colorado, weighing 2kg, which a suspect Adum Muhammed, 29, was attempting to smuggle into the Republic of Chad through Ngamboru Ngala border town in Borno State.

    “In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on Thursday 22nd May intercepted a Mercedes Benz car marked FST 938 FU loaded with 235 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 97kg and arrested a suspect, Adams Ayibakro. This is even as operatives in Lagos raided the Osapa London area of Lekki where they arrested a suspect Jonathan Isa with different quantities of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Molly, Rohypnol, Codeine, Cannabis and Nitrous Oxide while another raid at Idasun, Eleko, Ibeju Lekki on Saturday 24th May led to the arrest of Olamilekan Idowu and seizure of 48kg skunk.

    “The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Adamu Babbale Government Secondary School, Dimirkol, Katsina; Mary Hanney Secondary School, Oron, Akwa Ibom; Nnodo Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Government Secondary School, Guyuk, Adamawa; and Government Girls Islamic Secondary School, Gwagwarwa, Kano while Lagos State command of NDLEA paid WADA advocacy visit to the Sarkin Fulani of Lagos, Alhaji Muhammadu Bambado, among others.

    “While commending the officers and men of PHPC, MMIA, Apapa, Nasarawa, Cross River, Edo, Lagos, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe and Bauchi Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”

  • NDLEA, US-DEA to strengthen collaboration on drug war

    NDLEA, US-DEA to strengthen collaboration on drug war

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States (DEA) have stressed the need to strengthen current collaboration between the two agencies on the fight against the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

     This was the highpoint of discussion during a meeting between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) and the Country Attache of US-DEA, Ms. Daphne Morrison at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Friday 23rd May 2025.

     Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi made this known in a statement on Friday.

    READ ALSO: 11 things Nigerians should note when applying for a five-year Schengen visa

     According to the statement, while thanking Marwa for the cordial working relationship and partnership between NDLEA and DEA, Ms. Morrison who was recently posted to Nigeria said “I wanted to make this one of my priorities to come meet with you so we can continue to collaborate and work together. And thank you so much for your support over the years, and we’re ready to keep things going. I know you’ve been working well with the last Country Attaché, so I’m ready to get back in and collaborate and do some really great things with you.”

     She said efforts were ongoing to organise more training for officers and men of the Special Operations Units of the Agency while looking forward to a number of joint operations with NDLEA in already identified areas of interests.

     In his response, the NDLEA boss acknowledged the excellent relationships with Morrison’s predecessors. “They’ve been very, very supportive, and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will be the same, if not better, with you.”

     He noted the recent evolution of NDLEA in the size of its workforce, expansion of operational and administrative structures as well as remarkable successes recorded in its drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

     While acknowledging the support received from DEA over the years especially in areas of equipment, training, and joint operations, Marwa expressed hope that more of such support would continue.

  • NDLEA, US-DEA to strengthen collaboration on drug war

    NDLEA, US-DEA to strengthen collaboration on drug war

    …US drug agency lists training, special joint operations as areas of further support to NDLEA

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States (DEA) have stressed the need to strengthen current collaboration between the two agencies in the fight against the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

    This was the high point of discussion during a meeting between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) and the country attache of US-DEA, Ms. Daphne Morrison, at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, 23rd May 2025.

    Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Friday.

    According to the statement, while thanking Marwa for the cordial working relationship and partnership between NDLEA and DEA, Ms. Morrison, who was recently posted to Nigeria, said, “I wanted to make this one of my priorities to come meet with you so we can continue to collaborate and work together. And thank you so much for your support over the years, and we’re ready to keep things going. I know you’ve been working well with the last Country Attaché, so I’m ready to get back in and collaborate and do some great things with you.”

    She said efforts are ongoing to organise more training for officers and men of the Special Operations Units of the Agency, while looking forward to several joint operations with NDLEA in already identified areas of interest.

    In his response, the NDLEA boss acknowledged the excellent relationships with Morrison’s predecessors. “They’ve been very, very supportive, and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that it will be the same, if not better, with you.”

    Read Also: 80-year-old ex-convict, grandma, 82, arrested as NDLEA intercepts N3.2b opioids

    He noted the recent evolution of NDLEA in the size of its workforce, expansion of operational and administrative structures, as well as remarkable successes recorded in its drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

    While acknowledging the support received from the DEA over the years, especially in areas of equipment, training, and joint operations, Marwa expressed hope that more of such support will continue.

    “I think we would welcome much more support, but because this is your first visit to introduce yourself, I’m not going to bring out a long list of demands or requests, but just to acknowledge that we appreciate all the support we’ve been receiving,” he said.

  • 80-year-old ex-convict, grandma, 82, arrested as NDLEA intercepts N3.2b opioids

    80-year-old ex-convict, grandma, 82, arrested as NDLEA intercepts N3.2b opioids

    • Poly student nabbed selling drugs to others
    • Cocaine recovered in female headgear going to Australia
    • AK-47 rifle, magazines found in maize sack

    Two octogenarians: an 80-year-old grandpa Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old grandma Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, as well as her daughter, Chisom Uchechi, 32, top the list of suspects arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in raids across the country.

    Also, the operatives intercepted opioids worth over N3.2billion at Apapa in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Onne, Rivers State ports.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who made this known in a statement yesterday, said Ayuba had been arrested and prosecuted by NDLEA for drug-dealing offences.

    Babafemi said Ayuba was convicted and served 10-year jail term between 2014 and last year.

     Ayuba was again arrested last Wednesday at Barazana Street, Dogarawa, Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State by NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence.

    “A total of 2.3kilograms of skunk packaged in nylons and papers in retail sizes were recovered from him. He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years.

    “Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Abia State on Saturday, 17th May, raided the home of 82-year-old, Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village where quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol and skunk, a strain of cannabis as well as a cash exhibit of N130,600 were recovered from her and her daughter, 32-year-old Chisom Uchechi. The grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son who started the business died two years ago.”

    Babafemi said at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers State, a total of three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg worth N2.1billion were intercepted in one of the containers watch-listed by the agency based on intelligence,’’ the statement added.

    He said the seizure was made during an examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies.

    The spokesman also said the agency operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos last Tuesday seized another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India.

    He said during an examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1billion were discovered in the shipment.

    Read Also: 15 missing UTME candidates found in Imo, reunited with families — Police

    Babafemi also said in Kwara State, no fewer than 199,200 pills of tramadol were recovered from two suspects: Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail, last Friday, following their arrest at Gegele, Ilorin by operatives.

    The operatives, he said, also raided Favour Lodge in the state capital where an HND 1 student of the Department of Laboratory Science Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, was arrested with 650grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis measured in 149 cups, which he sells to other students.

    The statement continued: “At a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Friday, 16th May, intercepted 250grams of cocaine concealed in female headgear going to Australia.

    “In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba Road on Thursday, 15th May intercepted a Toyota Carina car marked AGL 945 BK conveying 316 blocks of skunk weighing 143kg while a suspect, Idris Kamal, 35, was arrested.

    “Same day, operatives on patrol at Chachi junction along Kaduna Road arrested Emmanuel Hassan, 26, with 14.3kg Loud. A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Bello Aliyu (alias Liti), 39.

    “While a 60-year-old suspect, Welman Kengbo, was nabbed by NDLEA officers with 594.8kg skunk at Karu area of Nasarawa state on Friday, 16th May, another suspect Oyenuga Toheeb, was arrested on Lekki/Epe Expressway, Lagos last Thursday with 67.5kg of the same psychoactive substance.

    “In Taraba State, 5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from a suspect, Shafiu Ismail, 22, when he was arrested on Thursday, 15th May, at Sabonlayin, Jalingo Local Government Area, while Tijjani Mohammed, 35, was nabbed with 198kg skunk at Malamawa, Garki Local Government Area, Jigawa State same day.’’

    Meanwhile, operatives on patrol on the Abuja-Kaduna highway last Friday intercepted a 29-year-old Ismail Isah with an AK-47 rifle and two magazines concealed in a sack of maize.

     Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), expressed satisfaction with the work of the operatives, urging them to work harder.

  • NDLEA arrests octogenarians, daughter in nationwide drug raids, seizes N3.2bn opioids

    NDLEA arrests octogenarians, daughter in nationwide drug raids, seizes N3.2bn opioids

    • …uncovers AK 47 rifle, magazines in maize sack

    Two octogenarians, 80-year-old Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday, along with her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a series of coordinated raids across the country.

    This development comes as the agency intercepted opioids valued at over N3.2 billion at the Apapa seaport in Lagos and the Port Harcourt port in Onne, Rivers State.

    The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday, highlighting that Ayuba Ashiru is a repeat offender who had previously served a 10-year sentence for drug-related offences between 2014 and 2024.

    He was re-arrested on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Barazana Street in the Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State, following credible intelligence.

    The NDLEA said the arrests and seizures are part of its ongoing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and cut off illegal supply routes across the country.

    The statement reads, “A total of 2.3 kilograms of skunk packaged in nylons and papers in retail sizes were recovered from him. He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years.

    “Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Abia state on Saturday, 17th May, raided the home of 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi Sunday at Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village, where different quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol and skunk, a strain of cannabis, as well as a cash exhibit of N130,600, were recovered from her and her daughter, 32-year-old Chisom Uchechi. The grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son, who started the business, died two years ago.”

    Read Also: NDLEA’s effectiveness under Marwa

    Babafemi said at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers state, a total of three million (3,000,000) pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg worth N2.1 billion in street value were intercepted in one of the containers watch-listed by the Agency based on intelligence.

    He said the seizure was made on Wednesday, 14th May, during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of the Customs Service and other security agencies.

    The Spokesman added that in like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday, 13th May, intercepted another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India.

    He said during a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion in street value were discovered concealed in the shipment.

    Babafemi also said in Kwara state, no fewer than 199,200 pills of tramadol were recovered from two suspects: Abdulwahab Quadir and Abdulraheem Ismail on Friday, 16th May, following their arrest at Gegele area of Ilorin by NDLEA operatives.

    He said the operatives also raided Favour Lodge in the state capital, where an HND 1 student of the Department of Laboratory Science Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ibrahim Oladimeji Abdulateef, was arrested with 650 grams of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis already measured in 149 cups, which he sells to other students.

    The statement reads, “At a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Friday, 16th May intercepted 250 grams of cocaine concealed in female headgear going to Australia.

    “In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on Thursday 15th May intercepted a Toyota Carina car marked AGL 945 BK conveying 316 blocks of skunk weighing 143kg while a suspect, Idris Kamal, 35, was arrested.

    “Same day, operatives on patrol at Chachi junction along Kaduna road arrested Emmanuel Hassan, 26, with 14.3kg Loud. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Bello Aliyu (alias Liti), 39.

    “While a 60-year-old suspect, Welman Kengbo, was nabbed by NDLEA officers with 594.8kg skunk at Karu area of Nasarawa state on Friday, 16th May, another suspect, Oyenuga Toheeb, was arrested along Lekki/Epe expressway, Lagos on Thursday, 15th May with 67.5kg of the same psychoactive substance.

    “In Taraba state, 5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from a suspect, Shafiu Ismail, 22, when he was arrested on Thursday, 15th May at Sabonlayin, Jalingo LGA, while

    Tijjani Mohammed, 35, was nabbed with 198kg of skunk at Malamawa, Garki LGA, Jigawa state same day.

    “Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna highway on Friday, 16th May intercepted a 29-year-old Ismail Isah with an AK 47 rifle and two magazines concealed in a sack of maize. He will be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

    “The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Supreme International School, Fagge, Kano; Al-Arifeen International Academy, Kaduna; Nadado Primary School, Bakori, Katsina; Ila Orangun Grammar School, Ila Orangun, Osun state; and students and staff of Government Secondary School, Onne, Rivers state, among others.

    “While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Abia, Kaduna, Kwara, PHIPC, Apapa, Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Taraba, and Niger Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”

  • NDLEA’s effectiveness under Marwa

    NDLEA’s effectiveness under Marwa

    SIR: Fifty-one months ago, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) was, to many, a dormant force — bogged down by bureaucracy, starved of relevance, and barely scraping the surface of Nigeria’s drug epidemic.

    But that perception has been buried under a landslide of reforms, arrests, convictions, and community-rooted campaigns — all bearing the unmistakable imprint of Brig. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa (retd), a man whose second act in public service is proving even more defining than the first.

    Under Marwa’s leadership, the NDLEA has swung into unprecedented action: 62,595 drug suspects arrested, 11,628 convicted, and over 10.3 million kilogrammes of illicit substances seized. These are not just numbers—they are the bones and breath of a transformed institution.

    More than 24,000 drug users have received treatment and rehabilitation. Over 10,500 sensitisation campaigns have spread across schools, markets, motor parks, and worship centres under the bold War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.

    These victories did not spring from improvisation. They trace their roots to the 2019 Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA), a foundational report co-authored by Marwa and then First Lady Aisha Buhari.

    That report, though buried in government shelves at the time, has now become NDLEA’s roadmap for reform: a shift from reactive raids to preventive strategy, from arrests to awareness, from enforcement to empathy.

    Since taking office in January 2021, Marwa has unfolded a deliberate agenda: build institutions, not headlines. Through policy blueprints like the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) and operational platforms such as State Drug Control Committees (SDCCs), the NDLEA has decentralised its mission — taking the fight to the grassroots, and giving local communities the tools to resist from within.

    A recent high-level training on Drug Prevention, Treatment, and Care (DPTC) in Abuja showcased this pivot to bottom-up reform. It gathered First Ladies from across Nigeria—not as ceremonial guests, but as state-level drivers of change.

    In an inspired move, the agency positioned them as SDCC chairpersons, supported by NDLEA commanders. The symbolism was powerful: mothers of the state now stand at the frontline of saving Nigeria’s children.

    Read Also: 25 years after, NDLEA gets forensic labs in Abuja, Enugu

    The agency’s strategy is clear and courageous: activate or strengthen SDCCs across all states; establish at least three functional rehabilitation centres per state; and invest in early detection systems to stop addiction before it begins.

    Marwa himself reaffirmed these goals with characteristic clarity: “With the support of our President, this year we are going to upscale the counseling and rehabilitation centres, which currently exist in 30 states. By the grace of God, we will ensure that every state and the FCT has one.”

    Even more ambitious is his push for zonal rehabilitation hubs — at least two or three centres to be rolled out within this budget year. For Marwa, the SDCCs are the true engine rooms of reform:

    “They are the potent platform for fostering multi-sector collaboration in the task of demand reduction. Kindly remember to cascade these committees down to local governments and communities. That is the only way we can uproot this problem from its source.”

    What we are witnessing is a deliberate evolution: from episodic crackdowns to institutionalised prevention. Under Marwa, drug control has broken free of its Abuja-centric shackles. It now lives in state policies, school curriculums, faith-based outreaches, and community conversations.

    As Professor Akintunde Ayodokun of LAUTECH aptly remarked during the DPTC session: “Brig. Gen. Marwa was the man people thought accidentally did well in Lagos. But he has done it again, and is that really by accident?”

    It is not an accident. It is architecture. Reform by blueprint. Strategy wrapped in foresight and delivered with discipline. The NDLEA Marwa inherited was gasping; the one he leads today is galloping.

    Technologically upgraded, mission-driven, and increasingly respected globally, the agency has gone from being reactive to becoming a national rallying point.

    Drug control is no longer a forgotten line in policy documents—it is a standing agenda in presidential briefings, gubernatorial roundtables, and village meetings.

    Marwa is not just policing drugs. He is rebuilding a national conscience—one that favours healing over punishment, partnership over propaganda, and prevention over panic.

    • As-Sayyidul Arafat Abdulrazaq Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Abuja
  • 25 years after, NDLEA gets forensic labs in Abuja, Enugu, trains 20 officers

    25 years after, NDLEA gets forensic labs in Abuja, Enugu, trains 20 officers

    After over 25 years of conducting forensic analysis in a single laboratory facility in Lagos, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has established two new laboratories and upgraded the existing one to enhance accessibility, expedite timely analysis, and prosecute cases efficiently following a surge in drug seizures over the past months.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

    According to the statement, the two additional laboratories built in Abuja and Enugu are strategically located and equipped with state- of -the -art facilities designed to meet the highest standards of quality and safety protocols, as well as ensuring a safe working environment.

    Excited about the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said, “The newly constructed laboratories will enable us to enhance our forensic analysis capabilities, increase our capacity to process cases efficiently and strengthen our fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.”

    He noted that while the two new facilities were set to commence operations, the existing one in Lagos has undergone a comprehensive renovation and refurbishment, transforming it into a state-of-the-art facility.

    “This project was made possible through the sponsorship of the US International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)”, he stated.

    Besides equipping the laboratories with additional cutting-edge analytical instruments, the

    The agency, in collaboration with the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), has conducted the training and certification of 20 NDLEA forensic analysts, meant to empower them to sign off on drug analysis reports, thereby enhancing the Agency’s forensic capabilities.

    This is in addition to the implementation of robust quality control measures, following the Agency’s successful participation in three rounds of the UNODC International Collaborative Exercise (ICE) programme, which is an important part of International Quality Assurance Programme (IQAP) to ensure quality management systems, accuracy and reliability of results.

    While commending the officers, men and women of the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring for working with him to break the over 25 years jinx, Marwa said the milestone achieved in the area of forensic analysis is borne out of his commitment to equipping the laboratories with state-of- the- art instruments and developing the expertise of the Agency’s personnel to ensure accurate and reliable forensic analysis, research methodologies and tackling the challenges posed by emerging New Psychoactive Substances (NPS).

    “The newly constructed drug laboratories and renovated facilities mark a significant milestone in the Agency’s history, and we are delighted about this achievement”, Marwa added.

    Read Also: Police, NDLEA, NSCDC pledge support for forest security

    Meanwhile, the US-INL has donated new advanced equipment to the Agency to enhance the operations of the NDLEA forensic lab in Lagos.

     The handover of the spectroscopy device was done by the Director of INL in Nigeria, Ms. Candace Spradley who commended the collaboration between NDLEA and the INL. She said the donated equipment will enhance the Agency’s capacity to detect and analyse suspicious substances.

    A team of top officials of the Agency who received the US delegation and the equipment at the Ikoyi Lagos headquarters annex of NDLEA was led by the Director, Seaport Operations, DCGN Omolade Faboyede.

    Others include the Director, Forensic and Chemical Monitoring, ACGN Patricia Afolabi; Deputy Director Media and Advocacy, ACGN Rita Geh Okpere; Head, Special Operations Unit, ACGN Akinola Idowu Grace and Commander, Lagos State Strategic Command of the Agency, CN Abubakar Liman Wali, among others.