The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) got a new chairman in person of retired Brigadier Mohammed Buba Marwa. He replaced Col. Muhammad Abdallah, whose tenure ended on January 11, 2021.
Mohammed Buba Marwa is highly polished, intellectually deep and a pan-Nigerian, Marwa was once military attaché, Nigerian Embassy, Washington DC, USA, and defence attaché, United Nations, New York, as well as former ambassador to South Africa and the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland.
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He obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and another master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. These are in addition to his training in the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.
Rtd General Mohammed Buba MarwaHe is a retired Nigerian army officer who served as governor of Borno State, and then Lagos State during the military administrations of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha.
His appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari was anchored on the high prevalence anchored on the high prevalence of drug abuse in Nigeria.
According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA) with technical support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 14.3million Nigerians between the ages of 15 – 64 years were found to be drug users.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is a Federal agency in Nigeria charged with eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard drugs.
The agency which was established by Decree Number 48 of 1989, is present in international airports, seaports and border crossing. It tries to eradicate cannabis by destroying plantings. The NDLEA also targets the leaders of narcotics and money laundering organizations.
NDLEA VISION
To become the most proactive and leading Drug Law Enforcement Agency on the African Continent and one of the best in the world through the provision of effective and efficient services to Nigerians by cutting off the supply of illicit drugs, reducing the demand for illicit drugs and other substances of abuse, tracing and recovering drug -related proceeds and contributing to the creation and maintenance of an enviable image for the Nation throughout the world.
NDLEA MISSION
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency shall deploy all resources at its disposal for the total eradication of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; suppression of demand for illicit drugs and other substances of abuse; recovery of ill-gotten wealth, acquired from proceeds of illicit drug trade, protection, enhancement and maintenance of the image of Nigeria and Nigerians at home and abroad.
NOTABLE legislation against illicit cultivation, trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs in Nigeria include:
- The Dangerous Drugs Ordinance of 1935 enacted by British Colonial administration.
- The Indian Hemp Decree No.19 of 1966 enacted by the Military administration of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi with life imprisonment for illicit trafficking.
- The Indian Hemp(Amendment) Decree No.34 of 1975 enacted by the regime of Major General Murtala Mohammed that reduced the term of imprisonment from life to 6 months imprisonment.
- The Indian Hemp(Amendment) Decree, and the Special Tribunal(Miscellaneous Offences) Decree No. 20 of 1984 enacted by the regime of Major General Mohammed Buhari to prescribe death penalty for illicit traffic in narcotics drugs.
- The Special Tribunal(Miscellaneous Offences) (Amendment) Decree of 1986 that replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment and and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Decree NO 48 of 1989 (as amended by Decree No.33 of 1990, Decree No 15 of 1992 and Decree No. 62 of 1999) all of which harmonized as Cap. N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria(LFN) 2004 that established the NDLEA, enacted by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida
- The Money |Laundering (Miscellaneous Offences) Decree No. 3, 1995 enacted by the regime of General Sani Abacha
- The Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2004 enacted by the civilian administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd); and
- The Money Laundering (prohibition) Act of 2011 enacted by the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to repeal the Act of 2004.
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