Tinubu Reappoints Buba Marwa as NDLEA Chairman for Another Five-Year Term
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), extending his tenure for another five years.
The announcement, contained in a State House press release signed by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga, confirms that Marwa will now lead the nation’s top anti-narcotics agency until 2031.
Marwa, first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, has led the NDLEA through a period described as one of the agency’s most impactful eras. Before his initial appointment, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.
A retired military officer and respected administrator, Marwa previously served as military governor of Lagos and Borno States. A product of the Nigerian Military School and Nigerian Defence Academy, he went on to build a robust military and diplomatic career. His records include roles as 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 to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Marwa holds two advanced degrees — a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Since assuming leadership of the NDLEA, Marwa has overseen several high-profile drug interdictions, including the arrest of more than 73,000 drug traffickers and the seizure of over 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances. His tenure has also been marked by aggressive advocacy and nationwide campaigns aimed at curbing drug abuse.
President Tinubu, commending Marwa’s efforts, described the reappointment as “a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse.”
He urged the NDLEA chairman to “remain relentless in tracking merchants of hard drugs determined to destroy our people, especially the youth.”
Marwa’s renewed mandate is expected to further strengthen Nigeria’s ongoing war against drug trafficking and substance abuse.