Nigeria suffers from various conflicts, from jihadist insurgents in the northeast to mass kidnapping attacks in the northwest, and separatists targeting security forces in the southeast. No day goes without news reports about deadly attacks or kidnappings, yet there seems to be a knight in shining armor for the most populous black nation.
In the wake of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepting 36 blocks of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigerians have lauded the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on its performance. The busted suspect had cocaine weighing 27.95 kilograms with a street value of over N8 billion. The agency, whose Chairman, Brig.- Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), was appointed in January 2021, has received the full support of the Buhari regime to enhance its capabilities and potentials.
Due to Marwa’s military background, many people were interested in this mission. Even his critics hoped that the drug agency will gain momentum under his leadership. According to reports, four months after taking office, NDLEA has intercepted at least N71.4 billion in drugs in various parts of the country.
Only a few days after Buba-Marwa took office, the agency seized 26,840 kg of drugs (which is considered the largest seizure in 15 years). The suspect Onyejegbu Jennifer Ifesinachi was apprehended with the substance at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos. According to reports, the drugs were brought in from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
As the head of NDLEA, Marwa has continued to be firm and serious, formulating his own agenda and strategy to deal with the terrible threat of drug abuse and addiction in Nigeria. Hitherto, NDLEA officials had been accused of abetting the criminals they are tasked with pursuing, but Buba Marwa has made NDLEA look like a newly established agency.
The battle against drug abuse is far from over, but with Marwa’s heroics since resuming office, exploits that saw him lead an anti-drug agency that has seized tens of billions of naira and determined to bring the drugs kingpins to their knees, we can come to the conclusion that there is hope for Nigeria after all.
