In a significant stride towards combating the drug menace, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects and the conviction of 11,628 offenders across Nigeria between January 2021 and March 2025. This milestone was announced by NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, during a conference for Nigeria Governors’ Spouses in Abuja. The event, themed “Advanced Training on Drug Prevention Treatment and Care, DPTC, Stage 3 and Effective Management of the State Drug Control Committee,” was organized by the NDLEA in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum.
Over the past four years, the NDLEA has pursued its mission with renewed zeal, deploying substantial resources towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem. The agency’s efforts have yielded significant outcomes, including the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects, among them 68 drug barons, and the seizure of 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs. Additionally, 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed, while 11,628 offenders were convicted. These achievements underscore the NDLEA’s commitment to reducing the drug supply and ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes are not only preserved but expanded.
In tandem with its efforts to reduce drug supply, the NDLEA has also placed equal emphasis on drug demand reduction, in line with international best practices. Between January 2021 and March 2025, 24,375 drug users received counseling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions. Furthermore, 10,501 drug sensitization programs were conducted nationwide, reaching diverse target groups within communities, with a remarkable 3,843,789 participants mobilized to partake in these initiatives.
The NDLEA has made intentional investments in the implementation of Drug Use Prevention strategies, recognizing that prevention is invariably better than cure. Targeted interventions have been vital in reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors against substance abuse, especially among vulnerable and marginalized populations, including youth. According to Brig. Gen. Marwa, “However dark the hour, we must not surrender to despair. As patriots and vanguards of our nation’s well-being, it falls on us to strengthen our resolve, to move with deliberate speed towards practical and lasting resolutions that will, God willing, break the vicious cycle of drug abuse.”
The capacity building event represents a stride, albeit small, in the proper direction, emphasizing the need for stakeholders to address the drug menace from a community-centered perspective. By striving for common ground and developing indigenous and pragmatic solutions, it is possible to go beyond mere statistics and harrowing headlines, ultimately addressing the real and harrowing human toll of drug abuse. As the NDLEA continues its efforts to combat the drug problem, its commitment to a balanced approach that encompasses both drug supply reduction and demand reduction is crucial in mitigating the drug menace and ensuring the well-being of Nigeria’s citizens.
