Marwa’s Return A Vote For Competence, Integrity — Ogun Gov

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has strengthened its maritime surveillance and interdiction capabilities following the successful completion of a week working visit to the United Kingdom by officers from the Agency’s Directorate of Seaport Operations.

This is even as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as the Chairman of the agency for a new five-year term.

Meanwhile, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has applauded President Tinubu for renewing Marwa’s appointment, describing it as a vote for competence, integrity, patriotism and excellence in public service.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, conveyed Marwa’s reappointment in a statement on Friday. Marwa was first appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021 after serving as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020.

“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 statement noted.
Congratulating Marwa through a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, in Abeokuta on Friday, Abiodun said that by the exciting development, President Tinubu has shown that public officials who demonstrate excellence in their jobs would be amply rewarded.

He described Marwa as an NDLEA boss par excellence, stating that going by his track record as a public officer, it could be no surprise that his time as chairman of the narcotics agency has witnessed landmark achievements, including the arrest of over 73,000 drug mules and barons and seizure of more than 15 million kilogrammes of various hard drugs; the convictions of over 12,000 drug barons, and the counselling and rehabilitation of over 8,200 drug users through demand-reduction programmes.

He lauded the NDLEA boss for launching nationwide campaigns to combat drug abuse, strengthening cross-border cooperation, and transforming the NDLEA into a model of accountability and public service.

He added: “By all means, General Marwa’s reappointment as NDLEA boss is great news for the safety and security of Nigeria and Nigeria’s future from the deleterious activities of traders in narcotics. President Tinubu has done Nigeria great service with this reappointment.

“Time and again, Marwa has distinguished himself as an uncommon public officer whose goal is to deliver maximally on the mandate that the NDLEA is saddled with.

“I extend felicitations to him on his reappointment and urge him to keep up the good work.” According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a six-man team led by Deputy Commander Narcotics (DCN), Aminu Danjuma Jega, undertook the strategic training in the UK between October 19 and 25, 2025, under the guidance of Mr. Errol Flynn Macdonald of the UK Home Office International Operations.

In a statement on Friday, Babafemi explained that during the engagement, the team visited key British maritime and border enforcement facilities where they were exposed to valuable international best practices in maritime intelligence, port security and inter-agency coordination.

The statement added: “The second part of the training on Advanced Container Targeting was conducted for additional 19 NDLEA officers in Lagos between Monday, November 10 and Thursday, November 13, 2025, by HOIO Intelligence team. Both the UK training tour and the Lagos residential five-day training were sponsored by the UK Home Office International Operations.

“The NDLEA delegation held extensive discussions with officials of the UK Border Force, the National Crime Agency (NCA), Home Office Intelligence, the National Maritime Security Centre, and the Joint Maritime Security Centre in Portsmouth, among others.

“During the engagements, the team received comprehensive presentations by the UK National Deep Rummaging Team, which showcased modern techniques and procedures for vessel rummage operations aimed at detecting and preventing illicit drug trafficking through sea routes. The officers also witnessed live demonstration sessions at Tilbury and Felixstowe Ports, where inward-bound containers from Nigeria were subjected to layered inspection and risk-based screening procedures.

“Another key highlight of the visit was the introduction and demonstration of the Advanced Sea Searcher System, a state-of-the-art underwater detection technology used for locating concealed contraband and drug consignments beneath ships and port structures. The system’s capacity for high-precision underwater searches was identified as a game-changer in maritime interdiction, offering significant potential for NDLEA’s future operations along Nigeria’s coastal and port environments.”

Babafemi disclosed that in his post-training presentation to Marwa, the leader of the delegation, Jega, noted that the international exposure deepened his team’s understanding of intelligence-led maritime enforcement, stressing that lessons learnt from the visit would enhance NDLEA’s operational synergy with other maritime and security agencies in Nigeria.

“We were exposed to advanced tools, data-sharing models, and inter-agency coordination frameworks that will significantly improve our maritime intelligence gathering and port surveillance operations. The practical demonstrations we witnessed, particularly in vessel rummage and underwater detection, are invaluable to NDLEA’s ongoing efforts to counter transnational drug trafficking through our seaports,” he stated.

In his response, Marwa commended the officers for representing Nigeria well during the training tour. He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to continuous capacity building and adoption of cutting-edge technologies in the fight against illicit drug trafficking.

“Maritime routes remain critical in global drug trafficking networks. Strengthening our officers’ technical capacity and intelligence integration with our international partners is essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders. The lessons from this UK engagement will be vital in enhancing NDLEA’s effectiveness in intercepting drug consignments at sea and ensuring safer maritime operations,” Marwa stated.

The NDLEA boss said the agency would continue to deepen collaboration with the UK Home Office International Operations and other global law enforcement partners as part of ongoing efforts to combat transnational organised crime linked to illicit drugs.