President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another five-year term.
Marwa, who first assumed office in January 2021 after his appointment by former President Muhammadu Buhari, previously served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse (2018–2020). His renewed mandate means the retired military officer will now lead the NDLEA until 2031.
A seasoned military administrator, Marwa hails from Adamawa State and is a graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he went on to hold several key military and diplomatic positions, including Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade; Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma; Academic Registrar of the NDA; Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C.; and Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Marwa also boasts strong academic credentials, holding a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983–1985) and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University (1985–1986).
His tenure at the NDLEA has been widely commended, marked by major breakthroughs in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse. Under his leadership, the agency has arrested over 73,000 drug traffickers, including high-profile barons, and seized more than 15 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs. The NDLEA has also intensified nationwide awareness campaigns to curb drug abuse, particularly among young people.
President Tinubu praised Marwa’s achievements, describing his reappointment as a “vote of confidence” in his commitment to safeguarding Nigeria.
“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 who are out to destroy our people, especially the young ones,” the President said.
