The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that it arrested 77,792 suspected drug offenders and secured 14,225 convictions over the past five years as part of its intensified crackdown on illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd), made this known in Abuja on Tuesday during the 11th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Awards and Commendation Ceremony held at the NDLEA national headquarters.
Marwa revealed that the agency also seized more than 14.8 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs within the period, describing the feat as a major disruption of local and international drug trafficking networks. He added that 128 high-profile drug barons were among those arrested.
Beyond enforcement, Marwa said the agency placed strong emphasis on rehabilitation and prevention, with over 32,000 drug users receiving counselling and treatment. He noted that more than 13,700 sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
Commending President Bola Tinubu for renewing his mandate, Marwa described it as an endorsement of NDLEA’s performance and pledged to intensify intelligence-driven operations in his second tenure.
He also lauded the judiciary, security agencies, international partners, civil society organisations and the media for supporting the fight against drug abuse and trafficking, while urging NDLEA officers to remain disciplined and proactive.
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
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