President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, extending his leadership of the agency for another five-year term.
The announcement was made on Friday in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Marwa, who first assumed office in January 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, will continue to steer the anti-narcotics agency until 2031. Prior to his initial appointment, he served as chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.
A seasoned military officer and administrator, the Adamawa-born Marwa previously held the positions of military Governor of Lagos State and Borno State. He attended the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he later returned as academic registrar.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, Marwa built a notable career that included roles such as Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, Deputy Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Embassy in Washington, DC, and Defence Adviser at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
He also holds advanced academic qualifications, including a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Marwa’s tenure at the NDLEA has attracted significant praise, with the agency recording major strides in drug enforcement. These include the arrest of over 73,000 drug couriers and barons, the seizure of more than 15 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs, and extensive preventive campaigns aimed at curbing drug abuse across the country.
President Tinubu said the renewal of Marwa’s mandate reflects recognition of his commitment and achievements in the nation’s fight against narcotics.
“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse. I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs, out to destroy our people, especially the young ones,” the President said.
