President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), extending his leadership of the agency for another five-year term.
The announcement was made on Friday in a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
President Tinubu commended Marwa’s performance, describing the renewed appointment as a strong endorsement of his dedication to combating drug trafficking and drug abuse in Nigeria. He urged Marwa to intensify efforts against drug cartels and criminal networks targeting the nation’s youth.
Marwa, initially appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, previously chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse between 2018 and 2020. His new term extends his stewardship of the NDLEA until 2031.
The Adamawa-born retired military officer has a long and distinguished career, including serving as military governor of Lagos and Borno States. A graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973 and went on to hold several key military roles. These include brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Army Staff, and academic registrar of the NDA.
He also served internationally as Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and later as Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Marwa holds two postgraduate degrees: a Master’s in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University.
Since assuming office at the NDLEA, Marwa has led several high-profile anti-drug operations, resulting in the arrest of more than 73,000 drug traffickers and barons, and the seizure of over 15 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs. He has also championed nationwide advocacy campaigns to curb drug abuse across communities.
