The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), describing the agency as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s national security architecture.
Speaking at the commissioning of 46 new operational vehicles at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Ribadu praised the leadership of NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), for transforming the agency into a “result-oriented force” against one of the country’s most destabilising threats — illicit drugs.
Ribadu stressed the link between drug trafficking and insecurity, noting that criminal gangs, insurgents, and armed groups often fund their operations through the illicit drug trade.
“Without mobility to swiftly reach danger points, intercept traffickers, and deploy resources, our fight is constrained. Drug trafficking fuels kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency, and cult violence. This is why the Renewed Hope Agenda prioritises drug control as a key pillar of our national security strategy,” he said.
The NSA pledged continued logistical, operational, and policy support for the NDLEA, promising stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Customs Service, and NAFDAC.
In his remarks, Marwa said the vehicle commissioning reflects the Tinubu administration’s sustained commitment to equipping frontline institutions in the fight against illicit drugs; He revealed that in the past two years, the NDLEA has: Arrested 40,887 drug offenders, including 45 drug barons.
Seized over 5.5 million kg of illicit substances; Destroyed 704.445 hectares of cannabis farms; Secured 8,682 convictions and forfeitures of drug-related assets to the Federal Government; Treated and rehabilitated 24,173 drug users at 30 rehab centres nationwide.
Conducted 8,698 sensitisation activities under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
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“No serious approach to national security can ignore drug control. The link between illicit drugs and crime is undeniable, and our results speak for themselves,” Marwa said, pledging to keep evolving the NDLEA’s strategy with sharper intelligence and improved mobility.
Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), lauded President Tinubu for backing NDLEA’s reforms, describing the agency’s performance as exemplary.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, called the vehicle procurement “a significant boost to operational capacity and deterrence”, while the Director General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, hailed NDLEA as “an example for other agencies of government”.
Out of the 46 vehicles commissioned: 38 SUVs were allocated to Zonal, Strategic, and State Commands; 10 sedan cars were assigned to the agency’s directorates.
The ceremony also featured the decoration of 15 newly promoted Commanders of Narcotics to the rank of Assistant Commander General of Narcotics (ACGN).
