- Odibo Victory
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, has vowed to sustain the agency’s crackdown on drug cartels.
Marwa said the agency would dismantle criminal networks and cut off the financial resources fuelling illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.
Marwa spoke during a public destruction of seized illicit drugs and substances in Lagos, where he issued a stern warning to drug traffickers.
He warned drug barons, traffickers, financiers, distributors and dealers that their days of operating with impunity were over.
“Wherever you hide, whoever sponsors you and however sophisticated your network may be, the long arm of the law will reach you.
“The agency remains resolute, relentless and uncompromising in pursuing and dismantling every criminal network and its financial spine,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA chairman urged Nigerians, parents, schools, religious and traditional leaders, and the media to become active stakeholders in combating illicit drug abuse.
He stressed that the fight against drug trafficking could not be won by the NDLEA alone.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described the quantity of drugs destroyed as a huge and sobering reminder of the threat posed by illicit drugs.
He said the threat affected communities, young people and Nigeria’s collective future, while demonstrating what could be achieved through institutional collaboration.
He said the exercise showed the importance of cooperation among law enforcement agencies, the judiciary and government.
“This is not merely to enforce the law, but to uphold justice, protect society, and secure a better future for our people,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said the development demonstrated that when institutions united around a shared purpose, the law became more than an instrument of enforcement.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed Lagos’ commitment to tackling drug abuse and trafficking.
“We will not relent in our efforts to do this,” the governor assured.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, also pledged continued support for Nigeria’s drug-control efforts coordinated by the NDLEA.
Abbas, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Adm. Abdullahi Mustapha, gave the assurance during the exercise.