November 14, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, extending his tenure by another five years.
The decision, announced in a statement on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, underscores the administration’s commitment to sustaining the ongoing campaign against drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Marwa, who assumed leadership of the NDLEA in January 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been widely credited with revitalising the agency.
His renewed mandate means he will remain in office until 2031, marking a significant endorsement of his performance.
A native of Adamawa State, Marwa is a seasoned military officer and public administrator with a career spanning more than five decades.
He attended the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he underwent rigorous training before beginning a distinguished career in the Nigerian Army.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he served in several strategic roles, including brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade.
He was also Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, a role that exposed him to high-level military decision-making.
His service extended into diplomacy and academia. Marwa was once academic registrar of the NDA, Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and later Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Beyond his military training, he earned a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983–1985) and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University (1985–1986), qualifications that helped shape his governance style.
As a former military governor of Lagos and Borno states, Marwa built a reputation for discipline and reform-driven leadership. His Lagos-era “Operation Sweep” security initiative remains a major reference point in public safety strategies.
His tenure as NDLEA chairman has also been marked by notable achievements.
The agency has recorded unprecedented drug seizures, over 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances, and arrested more than 73,000 drug traffickers, including several high-profile barons. Multiple drug syndicates were dismantled under his watch.
Marwa also championed nationwide anti-drug campaigns, expanding advocacy programmes to communities, schools, and religious institutions to raise awareness on the dangers of substance abuse.
Citing these achievements, the Tinubu administration said his reappointment was well deserved. President Tinubu commended Marwa for his “onerous efforts” in combating drug trafficking and abuse.
“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,” he said.
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