NIGERIA: Tinubu Reappoints Marwa As NDLEA Chairman For Second Five-Year Term

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reappointed Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for another five-year term, extending the retired military officer’s leadership of the anti-narcotics body until 2031.

The announcement, made through a State House press release, underscores the administration’s confidence in Marwa’s aggressive campaign against drug trafficking and substance abuse across Nigeria.

First appointed in January 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, Marwa has transformed the NDLEA into a formidable force, overseeing the arrest of over seventy-three thousand drug offenders and the seizure of more than fifteen million kilogrammes of illicit substances during his initial tenure.

His leadership has also seen the rollout of nationwide sensitisation programs aimed at curbing drug abuse, particularly among the youth.

A seasoned administrator and decorated soldier from Adamawa State, Marwa brings a wealth of experience to the role. A graduate of the Nigerian Military School and Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973 and rose through the ranks, serving as brigade major, aide-de-camp to former Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, and academic registrar at the NDA.

His diplomatic postings included deputy defence adviser in Washington, DC, and defence adviser to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Marwa holds advanced degrees in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and Public Administration from Harvard University.

In his message to the reappointed chairman, President Tinubu described the decision as a vote of confidence in Marwa’s relentless efforts to dismantle drug networks and protect Nigerian youth from the scourge of addiction.

The president urged him to intensify operations against drug barons and sustain public enlightenment initiatives.

The reappointment comes as the NDLEA continues to record significant victories in intercepting large consignments of hard drugs and dismantling transnational trafficking syndicates, solidifying Nigeria’s position in the global fight against narcotics.