• As Tinubu seeks global action against abuse
• Over 66,000 arrests, 11 million kg of illicit drugs seized in four years, says NDLEA boss
• President declines assent to NDLEA bill due to crime proceeds clause

President Bola Tinubu has called on the international community to intensify collective action against the growing global drug crisis, warning of its devastating impact on public health, security, and development.

Delivering a message to mark World Drug Day 2025, Tinubu described the drug epidemic as one of the most urgent challenges of the era. He stressed that no country is immune to its far-reaching consequences.

“The theme of this year’s observance, ‘The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention,’ is both timely and urgent,” Tinubu said.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, the President warned that drug abuse destroys lives, tears families apart, and fuels insecurity. “Violent crimes have been closely linked to substance abuse,” he said.

Tinubu expressed appreciation to global stakeholders and commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), led by Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) for its expanded role in enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

Emphasising a holistic and compassionate approach, Tinubu declared: “Drug dependence is not a moral failing. Recovery is a journey that requires supportive environments, mental health care, safe housing, and a society that offers second chances.”

He advocated stronger investment in school-based initiatives, grassroots mobilisation, and youth-focused campaigns to encourage informed choices and drug-free living.

The President also linked drug abuse to broader socio-economic issues such as poverty, inequality, and violence, noting that any effective strategy must be anchored in inclusive development and human rights protection.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to international cooperation, Tinubu pledged to deepen partnerships, strengthen enforcement, and promote sustainable solutions under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

At the World Drug Day event held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Marwa issued a stark warning about Nigeria’s escalating drug crisis, linking over 90 per cent of terrorism, kidnapping, and violent crimes to drug use.

“The evidence is clear; drug abuse is driving violent crime in Nigeria,” Marwa said. “More than 90 per cent of those involved in terrorism, kidnapping, and violence are drug users.”

He described the threat as widespread, which is no longer confined to the streets, now infiltrating schools, homes, and communities.

With Nigeria’s population exceeding 230 million, Marwa urged that prevention be recognised as a national security imperative.

Marwa reported that in the last four and a half years, the agency has arrested over 66,000 drug offenders, including 94 drug barons.

The anti-drug czar said the agency also seized 11.1 million kilograms of illicit drugs and secured more than 12,000 convictions, with some offenders serving life sentences.

MEANWHILE, Tinubu has declined to sign the NDLEA Bill, 2025 into law.

The President’s decision not to sign the bill passed by both chambers of the National Assembly was contained in a letter read in the Green Chamber yesterday during plenary.

The President, citing Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), explained that the proposed law seeks to empower the NDLEA to retain a portion of the proceeds from drug-related crimes, a move, he said, contradicts existing financial regulations.

He noted that under the current system, “all proceeds of crime are paid into the government’s Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.

Disbursements to any recovery agency, including the NDLEA, can only be made by presidential approval, subject to the consent of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly.”