President Bola Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), giving him another five years to continue leading the country’s fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
Marwa, who first assumed the role in January 2021 after being appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, will now serve as NDLEA chairman until 2031. His reappointment marks a renewed endorsement of his performance and leadership within the agency.
A respected military officer and administrator, Marwa has built an extensive career in public service. He previously served as military governor of Lagos and Borno States and is a graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, his military résumé includes roles such as brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and academic registrar at the NDA.
Marwa also has valuable diplomatic experience, having served as Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and later as Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
His academic credentials include a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Under his leadership, the NDLEA has recorded major achievements. The agency has arrested more than 73,000 drug suspects and seized over 15 million kilogrammes of various hard drugs. Marwa has also intensified nationwide anti-drug campaigns, reinforcing the agency’s visibility and impact across the country.
President Tinubu praised Marwa’s dedication, describing the reappointment as proof of the government’s confidence in his ability to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking and drug abuse.
“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse,” Tinubu said. “I urge you not to relent in tracking the merchants of hard drugs out to destroy our people, especially the young ones.”
