The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested 77,792 suspected drug offenders, secured 14,225 convictions and seized more than 14.8 million kilograms of illicit drugs in the last five years.

The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), said the figures show Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for drug trafficking networks.

He spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the 11th Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CCEO) Awards and Commendation Ceremony, where outstanding NDLEA officers and commands were honoured.

A tougher message to drug cartels

“When I first resumed in 2021, I promised to take the fight to the doorsteps of the merchants of death,” Marwa said.

“Today, the numbers speak for themselves. Through our collective resilience, we have sent a clear message that Nigeria is no longer a safe haven for illicit drug enterprise.”

According to him, 128 of those arrested were identified drug barons linked to major trafficking networks.

He added:

“We seized a total of 14,847,486.34 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, thereby significantly disrupting both local and transnational supply chains.”

Why it matters

Drug trafficking has long been linked to rising insecurity, youth addiction and organised crime in Nigeria.

Experts say large-scale seizures and convictions can weaken criminal networks, but sustained pressure is needed to prevent them from regrouping.

A security analyst, speaking generally on drug enforcement trends, said consistent prosecutions help deter traffickers, especially when combined with prevention and rehabilitation programmes.

Convictions and rehabilitation efforts

Marwa said NDLEA also strengthened its criminal justice response by prosecuting offenders.

“In further strengthening the criminal justice response to drug offences, the Agency successfully prosecuted and secured convictions against 14,225 offenders, reinforcing deterrence and affirming that drug crime attracts consequences,” he said.

Beyond enforcement, the agency says it focused on reducing drug demand.

“Through structured treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation programmes, 32,442 drug users received professional intervention,” Marwa said.

He added that 13,735 War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities were carried out nationwide.

These programmes, he said, targeted schools, motor parks, workplaces, worship centres and communities.

Backing from government

Marwa credited the agency’s performance to support from the executive, legislature and judiciary.

He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for extending the current NDLEA leadership’s mandate, describing it as a call to intensify the anti-drug campaign.

“These achievements are not accidental,” he said.

“They are the result of discipline, leadership, intelligence-led operations, and clear performance expectations.”

He added:

“Mr. President’s decision to extend our mandate is a call to more work. We assure him, and indeed all Nigerians, that the successes of the past five years are merely a foundation.”

What’s next for NDLEA

Addressing NDLEA officers, Marwa warned that future operations would be more sophisticated.

“The next phase of our operations demands even more grit and more tactical sophistication,” he said.

“We will not rest until every drug baron is behind bars, every trafficker is intercepted, every mule is caught, and every single gram of illicit drug is removed from our streets and communities.”

He cautioned against complacency, insisting the agency would maintain “sustained pressure” on traffickers.

Honouring officers and commands

At the ceremony, 166 NDLEA personnel and 17 commands received awards for courage, integrity and outstanding performance.

Marwa described the awards as part of an internal motivation system linked to bi-annual performance appraisals.

“The Commands Awards and Commendations is an internal reward mechanism that comes after our bi-annual appraisal,” he said.

“It acts as a booster to individual and collective commitment to the attainment of organisational goals.”

He added that motivation has played a key role in the agency’s resurgence over the past five years.

Partnerships and the road ahead

Marwa also acknowledged the role of international partners, sister agencies, civil society organisations and the media.

He called for deeper collaboration to protect Nigerian communities and future generations from drug abuse.

Nigeria’s security architecture will again come under scrutiny this week as policy researchers and civil society leaders meet to examine the fallout from US Christmas Day airstrikes in the country’s northwest.

The Conflict Research Network (CORN) West Africa, alongside The Africa Disruptions Lab (TADLab), says the virtual policy dialogue will assess whether the incident has led to accountability and reform or a return to silence.

The organisers say the airstrikes have become more than a single military episode, raising deeper questions about civilian protection, sovereignty and democratic oversight.

The event, scheduled for Wednesday, 21 January 2026, will begin at 3:00pm West Africa Time and be held on Zoom.

It is themed “The Christmas Day Reckoning: Tracking Justice and Change Since the US Airstrikes in Nigeria.”

What the organisers say

In a statement signed by its Communications Consultant, Bankole Shakirudeen Adeshina, CORN West Africa said the dialogue would examine what followed the airstrikes beyond immediate military outcomes.

“Rather than treating the Christmas Day United States-led military action as a closed chapter, the ongoing CORN West Africa and Africa Disruptions Lab dialogue series views it as part of an unfolding national test,” the statement said.

The organisation said discussions would focus on accountability, institutional response, security doctrine, international partnerships and the protection of civilians.

It added that the session would test whether Nigeria’s political and security leadership had shown “learning, reform, and transparency” or slipped back into “familiar patterns of silence and impunity.”

Why it matters

The organisers warned that unresolved questions around accountability and civilian safety could continue to undermine public confidence in state institutions.

They said these issues also affect Nigeria’s international partnerships and its credibility as a sovereign state.

Expert voices on the panel

The dialogue will feature Professor Mojubaolu Olufunke Okome, Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu and Ms Abiodun Baiyewu.

According to the organisers, the panelists bring expertise spanning scholarship, human rights advocacy and civic engagement.

Their insights, the statement said, are expected to shape more people-centred security policies, both locally and internationally.

Looking back: lessons from the first dialogue

This will be the second policy dialogue hosted by CORN West Africa and TADLab on the issue.

The first session, held on 30 December 2025, drew more than 200 participants from Nigeria, Europe, North America and other parts of Africa.

That discussion examined the implications of the airstrikes for Nigeria’s sovereignty, civilian protection and security governance.

Speakers included Dr Fatima Akilu, Prof. Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam and human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, with moderation by Dr Gbemisola Abiola.

What experts warned then

Dr Akilu cautioned that sovereignty is weakened when citizens learn of military actions affecting their country from foreign sources rather than their own government.

She warned that framing violence in Nigeria purely in religious terms risks masking the complexity of the crisis and the diversity of victims.

Prof. Para-Mallam linked persistent insecurity to state failure, arguing that the inability to protect citizens already signals compromised sovereignty.

She said the real cost of militarisation is measured not in budgets but in lost lives and devastated communities.

Mr Farotimi offered a sharper critique, insisting Nigeria’s crisis was rooted in elite failure rather than accident.

He argued that foreign intervention becomes possible only when domestic leadership fails its people.

What’s next

According to the organisers, Wednesday’s dialogue will not deliver final verdicts.

Instead, it aims to assess whether Nigeria’s response so far suggests genuine reform or a quiet return to business as usual.

They say the outcome could shape ongoing debates about Nigeria’s democratic future and the role of foreign military involvement.

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, known as So-Safe Corps, has arrested a 25-year-old man suspected of cult-related activities in Ogbo, Ijagun area of the state.

The corps said the arrest followed months of surveillance after the suspect allegedly escaped an earlier attempt to apprehend him.

What happened

In a statement released on Friday, the State Commander of So-Safe Corps, Commander (Dr) Soji Ganzallo, identified the suspect as Abiola Sunday, a resident of Imosan.

According to Dr Ganzallo, the suspect had previously evaded arrest over allegations of cultism.

“He escaped arrest some months ago on allegation of cultism, thereafter, a surveillance team was set up to track him,” the commander said.

How the arrest was made

The corps said operatives acted on fresh intelligence at about 1:30pm on 15 January 2026.

Dr Ganzallo explained that the Acting Area Commander of Leguru Area Command, CSC Owoseni Joshua, mobilised officers after receiving reports that the suspect was sighted in Ifesowapo Community.

The operatives subsequently apprehended him without incident.

Why it matters

Cult-related violence remains a major concern for residents in parts of Ogun State, particularly in communities hosting tertiary institutions.

Security experts say intelligence-driven arrests help to prevent reprisals, intimidation, and attacks that often disrupt local businesses, schools, and daily life.

For residents of Ogbo and Ijagun, the arrest may offer temporary relief amid fears linked to cult activities.

Background on the suspect

So-Safe Corps described Abiola Sunday as a former student of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Ijagun.

The commander alleged that he is a known member of the Aiye Confraternity within the Ogbo, Ijagun community.

Dr Ganzallo said the suspect had “been a terror to residents and visitors alike”, though these claims are yet to be tested in court.

Police response

The corps confirmed that the suspect has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Igbeba Area Command in Ijebu-Ode.

Police authorities are expected to carry out further investigations and determine possible prosecution.

Official assurance

Dr Ganzallo reiterated the corps’ commitment to public safety across Ogun State.

He said the agency would continue to work with other security organisations to protect lives and property.

What’s next

Police investigations are ongoing.

Authorities say updates will be provided as the case progresses.