On June 19, 2026, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured a major boost in its war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, receiving a pledge of full legislative backing from the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the newly appointed Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Joseph Igiagbe Ikpea, to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The visit aimed to familiarize the newly formed Senate Committee with the NDLEA’s ongoing operations and to establish a formidable, collaborative front against Nigeria’s growing drug challenges.
Senator Ikpea highly commended Gen. Marwa’s track record of public service, citing his historic achievements as the military governor of the former Borno State, military administrator of Lagos State, and his current transformative leadership at the NDLEA.
I have heard so many positive things about you as a sincere, straightforward, passionate, and committed person, especially your achievements in the old Borno State and Lagos State, as well as your current engagement as chairman and chief executive officer of NDLEA where you are making great impacts.
Senator Joseph Ikpea.
In addition to legislative support, Senator Ikpea emphasized the critical need to scale up rehabilitation programmes for individuals battling drug dependency and called for intensified public awareness campaigns to protect Nigerian youths from falling into substance abuse.
Welcoming the delegation, Gen. Marwa congratulated Senator Ikpea on his appointment, noting that the lawmaker’s reputation for integrity makes him uniquely suited for the role.
While acknowledging that drug trafficking remains a complex global and national crisis deeply intertwined with other social vices, Marwa highlighted the agency’s aggressive and successful enforcement strategies.
We are doing our level best to curb the scourge and we are getting impressive results.This includes the dismantling of major transnational drug cartels, the arrest of high-profile barons, and weakening their financial base through the seizure and forfeiture of their assets.
Brig.General Mohamed Buba Marwa.
Marwa reaffirmed the NDLEA’s total readiness to work hand-in-hand with the Senate Committee to advance Nigeria’s national drug control agenda and safeguard the country’s future.
