Ayo Oyoze Baje
” This is not a challenge for the government alone. All of us are stakeholders. On this issue…The future of Nigeria belongs to all of us”
— Gen. Buba Marwa
Persisting as a clear and present danger, and worsening over the decades is the critical challenge of both drug trafficking and its abuse, here in Nigeria. With the trading in and addiction to hard drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, LSD and ecstasy, especially by some rudderless youth, the consequences are dire for the country. In addition, NDLEA has warned against dangerous new drugs tagged ‘ Suck and Die’ and ‘ Rubber Solution ‘, that have become the favorites of the young addicts. That was a news headline on January 23, 2025. Not left out is the recent warning given by NAFDAC that as many as 14.3 million Nigerians are affected by drug abuse!
As Marwa has rightly noted, the fight against the sales and abuse of such hard drugs, including the abuse of alcohol and cannabis, cannot be left in the hands of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) alone. A holistic approach has become a necessity.
It is therefore, worthy of note that over the past three years the NDLEA has arrested over 52,901 drug traffickers, including 52 drug barons, seized 8.6 million kilograms of illicit drugs and secured 9,034 convictions. It has in addition destroyed over 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms across the country. Phenomenal achievements, is it not? Of course, it is!
On record is that between November 2024 and today, the news media has been awash with mind-boggling seizures of hard drugs and their kingpins. Such headlines include: “Four Nigerians Arrested with 39 kg of Cocaine in Saudi Arabia”. That was in December 2024. Next was the news item which stated that: ” NDLEA Seizes Six Vehicles,40 feet Trailer Loaded with Skunk in Midnight Raid in Abuja “.
And on January 18, this year it was that of: ” NDLEA Apprehends 366 Traffickers, 1.560 Seizures of Drugs in Enugu”. Furthermore, it was revealed that the same month that the anti-drug Federal Government Agency intercepted N134.2 billion worth of drugs at the Tincan Island, Port Command. Another report stated that the NDLEA intercepted UK-bound illicit drug consignment hidden in a duvet at the Lagos airport and arrested two suspects.
Still in January of this year, a businessman escaped death after surgery to expel cocaine in his stomach as the Agency intercepted skunk from Ghana. That was before the news item that went viral on social media that: “Drug Bust: NDLEA Seizes Massive Tramadol Haul, Arrests Four “. Beyond listing all these horrifying tales of drug trafficking, is the all-important question of how the NDLEA can achieve these feats and what lessons agencies, organizations and individuals can glean from them.
Lest we deceive ourselves, the answer is predicated on the leadership paradigm and unfailing. An insight into the persona of Buba Marwa would provide the answers. According to NDLEA ‘s Director of Media and Advocacy, ace journalist Femi Babafemi, while paying a tribute titled: ” Marwa: A Legend at 69″, highlighted the qualities of courage, being strategic, always believing in and aptly prioritizing and demonstrating workers’ welfare as a motivational force. He is also a sticker for innovation and one who plans well, and of course, he is a commendable team leader.
As Babafemi aptly stated about Marwa’s driving philosophies: ” One, where other leaders are overcautious of taking a radical step, Marwa does not dither, if the situation calls for it.” To bolster his assertion, he mentioned how he created six new directorates, 14 Zonal commands, and a tactical unit of Strike Forces. Furthermore, he does not go on a wild goose chase. “His every action is strategic and calculated to deliver results “. And from the motivational perspective: ” His philosophy has always been that organizational goals are easily achieved when the workforce gives its best, and such comes from happy workers”. All these sterling qualities have underscored the wonderful achievements so far recorded under his watch at the NDLEA. Other Nigerian leaders overseeing the political and economic spectrum should glean from his selfless service to the fatherland.
Kudos also goes to the staff of the NDLEA, firstly for firmly believing in the vision of the agency and keying into it. But with regards to the recent scary story of a newly wedded official of the agency who was burnt alive in Kaduna, while on duty, and another one of the clashes between the police and members of NDLEA, the new challenge before Marwa is that of the safety of the workers. They should not become an endangered species because of attacks from the drug barons and their supporters.
Going forward, with the warning given by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, projecting a 40 % increase in drug use across Africa by 2030 due to population growth, the time for all of us as stakeholders to assist NDLEA to help us out is right now. Doing so, and with the mass enlightenment on the dangers of drug abuse, especially to our young minds, through schools, churches, mosques, community meetings, would stem the rising tides of both drug trafficking and its abuse.
It has become necessary for us all to understand the health implications of drug abuse. With dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates emotions, motivation and an illusory feeling of pleasure, it affects choices made, leading to constant cravings and substance abuse. Also, addiction to these drugs causes challenges to the lungs and heart, leading to lung cancer and stroke. It also results in disabilities and eventually death. Prevention will therefore, be better than cure and the time for each of us to play our part is now.
